Crazy Is My Story
by Drace929
Summary: With her memoir about to come out, join AJ as she reveals some of her most challenging and special moments that lead her to this moment. (AJPunk moments that is).
1. A Man Like Him

**A/N: New Story ALERT! This one won't be as long and very similar to 'the Journey' only this one is Rated M (for language and other stuff) and instead of a countdown to the wedding it's a countdown to AJ's book. It's basically going to be a bunch of one-shots centered around significant moments in AJ's life. I have not read her book obviously so this is just a bunch of crazy theories to help us pass the time until the real thing comes out.**

 **Also, just want to thank everyone for their kind reviews and messages. It means a lot to me and a big reason that I'm back. So, enjoy and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

 **A Man Like Him**

* * *

Writing her memoir was the hardest thing April Jeanette Mendez Brooks had ever done in her entire life. The world had no idea what skeletons were in her closet. She always feared she'd be exposed, she never imagined she'd be the one doing it. She realized that the only person that she was afraid of learning her deepest darkest secrets was her husband.

Sure she spent a majority of the last two years following him to UFC, following him to Milwaukee, preparing meals and lifting him up when he felt down and he would offer the same but what lied within the pages of this book could have scared him off, SHOULD have scared him off, but it didn't. Thankfully before taking her vows or even before dating Punk knew everything that was inside of this book, inside of her mind and he accepted her. She knew his opinion was the only one that mattered and he supported her just as much as she supported him.

Punk took over Larry duty and let her lock herself inside of her office for up to twelve hours a day writing. He would provide her with endless amounts of junk food and even set up her own personal coffeepot inside of her office so she wouldn't have to leave for that. There was also the moral support, the most important of all. There were some chapters that were harder to write than others and he would hear her sniffling within in her office walls and pull her out of the room and into his arms just when she needed it. He would also find her sleeping at her desk in the middle of the night and carry her into their bedroom and tuck her in without disturbing her so she'd get enough sleep.

Sure she was worried about the reaction to her book. Would her fans hate her? Would her family forgive her for spilling their deepest darkest secrets? Would she be mocked by former collages? All of these question ran through her head more and more once the book was finalized and the cover was prepared. There was no turning back. She would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat shaking Punk awake to confide in him her worst nightmares.

 **" _I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. It's your story to tell, not theirs. I have your back."_**

That's all it took to get her back to sleep. But tonight she managed to wake without stirring him. He was still sleeping off his UFC loss, something he was ashamed of but AJ couldn't be prouder of. She was glad he had actually gotten some sleep tonight and slipped out of the bed without even waking Larry who was at Punk's side. She put on her slippers and headed down the hall to her office.

AJ was so proud of her office, she finally had it perfectly decorated. Within these walls she accomplished her biggest dream ever- to be a published author. Every page was written in here. Her office was her sanctuary and she owed that to her husband as well. When she agreed to move in here February of 2013 he promised he'd have this room empty so she could have her own personal space. Not only did he clear it out, he actually had the wall knocked down to give her wall to ceiling glass doors so more light would shine through and a small terrace to drink her coffee on.

* * *

" _I really just want to sleep." AJ groaned as Punk took her suitcase out of her hands and left in the hallway._

" _I know it's been a long week." He sympathized._

" _Yea and now I have so much to unpack-" She began and looked around. "Where are all of my boxes?"_

 _"They're upstairs." He shrugged. "I moved some things around for you."_

 _"How thoughtful." She smirked kissing her fiance briefly and slowly climbed the stairs. "I need my box of clothes."_

" _I put all of your boxes in the office." Punk told her as he followed her towards her seemingly empty and messy office._

" _I just want to find my sweats." She said opening the door but gasped._

 _There were no boxes inside of the office. She wasn't even sure it was the same room. The room that was basically a storage room for Punk was transformed.  
He had literally knocked out half a wall to give her more light and french doors, and even a small terrace with two little chairs and a table on it. The room was painted the color she had picked out a week back in Tampa and the furniture she had seen online that she liked were in here. White couch, desk, shelf. She couldn't believe it. _

" _Is this a new laptop?" AJ asked noting the laptop on the desk._

" _I knock out a wall and you notice the laptop?" Punk teased._

" _It's amazing." She grinned turning to look at him. "It's just like I imagined. You actually listened to what I said."_

 _"I listen to everything. It may not appear that I listen since you seem to enjoy talking during hockey games but I definitely listen." He remarked._

" _How did you pull this off in this amount of time?" She asked._

" _I had the wall and terrace done two weeks ago, you just haven't been here. The rest was easy. I painted and unpacked your stuff, furniture got here a few days ago." he shrugged as if it was nothing. "I won't be offended when you rearrange all of your toys either." he said pointing to her shelf._

 _He did know her so well. Her OCD was off the charts looking at how unorganized her space was and in now way the order she would approve but her heart was about to burst. Nobody had ever surprised her like this._

" _Why did you do this?" She asked softly, suddenly unable to look at him he chuckled._

" _Consider it a thank you for uprooting your life in Tampa and agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me." He smirked and cupped her chin gently so she'd look at him. "Don't feel bad or get embarrassed when I surprise you with things because you deserve to be surprised and showered with gifts and I have a lot of tricks up my sleeves."_

" _I just feel funny accepting this." She admitted feeling bad._

" _Are you kidding?" he laughed loudly. "You live here. You're going to be my wife. I want you to have this space to write your book."_

 _"Oh, I was going to call Lisa about that. I don't think I'm doing that." She told him and his face dropped. "So the room was a waste." She shrugged as her eyes wandered around the beautiful space created specially for her._

" _What are you talking about? Why would you do that?" He asked with a hint of anger. "You've been so excited about this."_

 _"I'm not excited anymore." She shrugged. "It was a dumb idea."_

 _"No it wasn't. You have an incredible story." He argued._

" _Nobody is going to care to even read it." She pointed out and he narrowed his eyes._

" _I'd read it." He shrugged simply. "Isn't that good enough?" and she grinned._

" _We're getting married." she reminded him seriously._

" _Yea I know. I just picked out my tux." He smirked smugly. "What does that have to do with your book?"_

 _"It's going to embarrass you." She pointed out and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You know everything and I mean EVERYTHING there is to know about me and you have to cringe at some of it. Sometimes I wonder why you'd even ask me to marry you."_

 _"Don't do that." he warned her. "Don't beat yourself up like that. I think you have an incredible story and I love every piece of you, even the bad stuff."_

 _"People will make fun of you." she informed him seriously and he chuckled._

" _What the fuck do I care what people think? What do you care what those pricks think?" He asked amused. "I'll tell those people to fuck off. Besides there's nothing to be ashamed of."_

 _"Oh really?" She mocked._

" _You told me this was your dream." He reminded her. "You went on and on about how you wanted to help at least one person and you wanted all that bad stuff to be worth it. You're not ashamed of your past are you?"_

 _"No-" She began hesitantly._

" _So, what's stopping you?" He questioned._

" _What if its not good?" She asked seriously._

" _It'll be good." He smirked. "You're smart."_

 _"That's it?" She asked dramatically._

" _No. I can list a hundred positive qualities you have but being smart is the most relevant to you writing this book." He said to her. "Besides, getting this room together wasn't cheap. I'd like you to use it."_

 _"You really did go all out for me." She had to admit._

" _Do you like it? And I mean seriously." He said to her. "I can change the color or the furniture."_

 _"It's perfect." She assured him with a bright smile._

" _And I'm not going to force you to write this book or anything but maybe test out your desk and chair and see if anything comes to you." He suggested gently._

" _What about our kids?" She asked out of nowhere and his face dropped._

" _Kids?" he asked feeling himself sweat. "Are you-"_

 _"No." She scoffed and he felt relief. "But we talked about it, we said kids in a few years."_

 _"Yes I remember that." He nodded. "I'm confused as to where you are going with this."_

 _"They'll know I wrote a book and they'll read it and realize what a nut job their mother is." AJ argued._

" _Or they'll think she's incredible." He shrugged with folded arms. "I also think if anything there's a few lessons to be learned from some of your past and that could be helpful."_

 _"I guess." She said giving it thought._

" _It hasn't been all bad Ape." He pointed out. "You have an amazing wrestling career, you have me."_

 _"That is true." She grinned thinking more about it. "It really has had good moments."_

 _"Just think about it." he said to her simply. "No pressure. But for what it's worth, I believe in you."_

 _"It's worth more than you know." She whispered before gently grabbing his face and pulling it down so his lips could touch hers..._

* * *

"What are you doing?" a voice asked startling AJ who let out a scream causing Larry to let out a bark in the dark room.

"You scared me." AJ sighed annoyed placing her hand over her beating heart.

"Sorry, I thought you came in here to work but the light was off so it intrigued me." He smirked.

"And I thought you were out cold." She responded coyly.

"Why? Did I interrupt a secret rendezvous with your man on the side?" He asked with a straight face.

"Yes." She responded just as seriously. "He climbs up onto my terrace every night around this time."

"Ballsy little fucker." Punk nodded walked over to the doors and she cracked a smile. "It may not have looked it last Saturday night but I would kick his ass." he warned her and she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his chin.

"Stop thinking about it. You need to rest." She insisted.

"You need to rest." He corrected. "You have a bad dream or something? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Wasn't a dream." She said resting her face against his chest. "I was just remembering my first day living here and how you surprised me with this room, how I created my brainchild in here."

"I don't want to take all the credit." He remarked teasingly. "But I may or may not be expecting a shout out in the dedication."

"I told you that was a surprise." She giggled. "You're just going to have to wait just like everybody else."

"That's why I pre-ordered my copy." He remarked smugly.

"You didn't have to do that." She said with a cute smile.

"I think I did." He said seriously. "Some of your fans are ordering multiple copies and since you didn't let me read the finished product..."

"You already know everything." She reminded him.

"Yea I know but I want to read your beautiful words on how your entire world changed the second you laid eyes on me for the first time." He said seriously.  
"How the ground shook and the birds chirped and the angels sang."

"Is that what it was like when you first met me?" AJ asked teasingly.

"All of the blood in my body rushed right to my-" he stopped short and grinned. "My heart."

"Right." AJ roared a laugh.

"Made me a little light headed." He added and she rolled her eyes. "I'm just curious as to what you said." He said slyly running his fingers over her closed laptop.

"What makes you think I wrote about the first time we met?" She asked amused.

"Um, wouldn't that be considered the best day of your life?" He asked sarcastically.

"Our wedding is." She giggled.

"You really didn't write about the first time we met?" He asked with a frown.

"I wrote about the first time I saw you." She informed him.

"That's the first time we met." He smirked.

"No it's not." She said to him. "I met you before I joined WWE."

"No way." he laughed sitting at the chair behind her desk.

"Do you remember Colt's birthday party in 2007?" she asked and he laughed.

"Sweetheart, I don't remember Colt." Punk informed her almost smugly. Him and Colt's were on the outs and the last person he was thinking about.

"I was there and so were you." She informed him. "It's not the center of that particular chapter but it's the most important."

"I'm not the center of every chapter?" He asked seriously then smirked. "I'm kidding, what was the chapter about? Being a wrestling groupie and sneaking into parties?" he joked.

"It was about Jay." She told him and his face fell and he rolled his eyes. "You knew I'd be talking about my exes."

"Yea I know." He mumbled. "Doesn't mean I like it. Where was that party?" he asked.

"It was in Jersey. Colt and Jay had a match that weekend." She reminded him. "You were in town with WWE."

"Oh at that seafood deck place." he said remembering.

"It was a bar on seaside boardwalk." She corrected with a laugh.

"It was fucking cold." He remembered.

"It stays open all year round." AJ shrugged.

"You were there, huh?" He asked eyeing her carefully and she nodded. "You never told me that."

"Yup." She said moving around the desk and sitting on his lap.

"Was I dick?" He asked.

"No." She laughed. "You were with Maria though."

"Oh." He frowned. "Did we talk?"

"No." She said shaking her head. "I did talk to Maria."

"Are you going to tell me the story or do I have to hack into your laptop?" He asked casually.

"Don't you want to wait until the book is published?" She asked and he side-eyed her. "Fine." She sighed leaning against him.

* * *

 _"They're going to realize I'm not old enough to be in here." AJ whispered to her boyfriend Jay._

" _Just blend April." Jay encouraged as he sipped on his glass of whiskey. "I want you to meet some people." He said tugging on her arm, tugging on her arm was something he had done often but she never saw it as a sign._

 _AJ was introduced to just about everybody as Jay boasted and bragged about dating her. This really wasn't her scene. She was happy to be in Jersey and the fact that Jay was so lovable and affectionate tonight but she had been there for hours and was ready to go._

" _Jay it's getting really late." AJ sighed tugging on his shirt as his back was to her._

" _We didn't even have the cake yet." Jay said briefly turning his head and she got his with a wave of his breath that reeked of liquor._

" _We're just waiting on two more people." Colt said to AJ who offered him a thankful smile._

 _Sure enough in walked two more people, so late that they missed most of the party. AJ recognized both- CM Punk and Maria. Both working with WWE. They walked in hand in hand to a round of cheers and people running over to say hello. Colt, who was talking to Jay instantly ran across the room to greet his best friend._

" _Are you going to introduce me?" AJ asked nudging Jay who was ordering another drink at the bar._

" _No." he said simply and he turned to face her. "Maria is sweet, Punk is a dick."_

 _"Really?" AJ asked surprised. "You guys used to have great matches."_

 _"WWE has gone right to his already big head." Jay whispered to her. "He's not good people. He just steps on everybody and hogs the spotlight and glory."_

 _"You sound jealous." AJ teased but he wasn't amused._

" _You know how much it gets to me that WWE turns me down after tryout." Jay remarked shaking his head in disbelief._

" _You're right, I'm sorry." She said quickly plastering on a smile. "I really am." She said kissing his lips but he didn't kiss her back._

" _I'm going to go to the bathroom, then we can leave and you can properly apologize to me." He said to her then pushed himself off the bar._

 _AJ turned her head and watched as Punk pulled a chair out for Maria, something Jay had never done for her ever. He didn't cut her off as she spoke to his male friends, instead he laughed along with them. They kissed publicly in front of cameras (a big no-no from Jay) and saw how truly happy the two were. AJ turned her head towards the bar when she saw Maria walking over._

" _Hey, I like your shirt." Maria noted pointing at AJ's 'geek' t-shirt._

" _Thanks." AJ smiled shyly. "I see you on TV and I'm a big fan." She told her nervously._

" _I was going to say the same thing. I've seen some of your stuff with Jay." Maria told her in kind, "You're really, really good. Do you want to come over and sit with us?"_

 _"Jay wants to leave." AJ told her and Maria just nodded as she ordered a pepsi for her boyfriend a glass of wine of herself._

" _He's like that." Maria shrugged._

" _Hello beautiful." Jay greeted walking over and kissing Maria on the cheek and pulling her into a hug._

 _AJ felt like invisible as Jay's eyes raked over Maria's perfect body and he now grabbed her hand and kissed it. She wasn't sure if he was flirting with her because he was truly attracted to Maria or to piss off Punk which he appeared to be doing as Punk ended his conversation at the table and strolled over to the bar next._

" _Can't say hi to me but you can drool all over my girl?" Punk asked half seriously._

" _Sorry man, I was just about to stop by." Jay said sticking his hand out but Punk wouldn't shake it as he draped his arm over his girlfriends shoulders and kissed her cheek. "I get it." He laughed._

 _"Do you?" Punk asked. "If you have a problem we can take it outside." he offered in an almost friendly voice._

 _Was her boyfriend about to get into a fight over some other girl at a bar? AJ asked herself. Was she going to stand for this? Probably._

" _No problem. I was just leaving." Jay told him as Punk cracked his neck ready to fight the man anyway._

 _Jay turned around and walked right out of the bar, waving at Colt on his way and completely forgot about AJ and the bill for that matter._

" _He shouldn't be driving." Maria said to AJ as she fished into her purse to cover Jay's tab._

" _I know. I have the keys, he's not getting in the car." AJ said throwing whatever she had on the counter and pleaded with the bartender. "It's all I have." she frowned._

" _Keep it." The bartender said sliding is back to her. "And find yourself a better guy."_

" _Jay is sweet but my guy-" she began and pointed to Punk who was now across the room catching up with Colt. "-never lets me pay for a thing." she told AJ. It wasn't to make her mad though and AJ understood that._

" _He seems like a great guy." AJ agreed._

" _He is. I hope you find one too." Maria said symptomatically to her. "It was nice meeting you."_

" _You too." AJ smiled and watched her walk over to Punk who again wrapped his arms around her and AJ smiled, she wanted to something like that with a man like that._

* * *

"I remember that night." Punk nodded thinking back to it. "I remember you too, I didn't think you were his girlfriend though because why in gods name would you stand there and let him kiss up on another woman in front of you?"

"I didn't have a lot of confidence back then." She sighed. "I thought you were awesome though." She smirked turning her head to kiss his cheek. "I wanted a man just like you."

"Who would have thought you'd get the real deal?" He teased.

"Not me. I assumed you and Maria were so in love you'd marry her." AJ admitted.

"We broke up a few months after that." He pointed out. "A lot of it was for show. It wasn't any deeper than that."

"It's funny how I stood there and let Jay fall all over Maria and I wouldn't even let Michelle Beadle speak to you." AJ pointed out.

"Because what you had with Jay was artificial." Punk said brushing it off.

"Oh really?" AJ laughed and he nodded knowingly.

"Yup. I don't care how low your confidence is, if you truly love somebody you won't let them be disrespected or disrespect you." He said to her. "Which is why I thought you were a friend that night. But back to that story, so uh- how did you apologize to him?" He asked curiously.

"What?" she asked him.

"You accused him of being jealous of me which he was and still is, he said you'd apologize later how'd you do that?" Punk asked and she narrowed his eyes at him.

"You really, REALLY don't want me to share that story." She said and felt his body cringe.

"I need to get this out of my head." He sighed dramatically.

"You wanted to hear the story." She defended with a laugh.

"I didn't think a story about you and I would involve us with different people." He practically gagged. "What an awful night."

"I'm sure you and Maria had a great night after the party." AJ remarked.

"We got into an argument and I slept on the beach and almost got arrested for sleeping there." Punk said to her.

"Poor baby." AJ teased. "Ready to go back to sleep?"

He just shook his head no and she knew was was coming.

"Let's christen your office couch." He suggested kissing the nape of her neck as his hands wandered around the front of her body.

"We have." She reminded him trying not to laugh. "More times than I can count." her eyes closed as his dipped under her night shirt and was now kissing behind her ear.

"I just thought that sounded better than 'let's fuck over there'." He told her honestly and stood up and lifted her bridal style and carried her over to the long white couch...

* * *

 **A/N #2- What do you think? Please feel free to leave ideas in the reviews on what YOU want to see me write about. First date? Second date? Getting Larry? Moving in? Something completely fictional because that is EXACTLY what this site is for lol. Let me know!**


	2. Luck Is For Losers

**Luck Is For Losers**

* * *

AJ slowly opened her eyes in her dark office. She smiled to herself realized she was still on her small couch with her husbands arms wrapped around her and throw blanket covering their nude bodies. His face was buried behind her in her messy hair and she ran her thumb over the hand holding hers.

"You're up." his voice greeted.

"You didn't sleep?" She asked curiously.

"Sleep? You only slept for an hour." he smirked. "It's still dark out even though I hear thunder, it's going to be a rainy day."

"I love those kind of days." she admitted with a happy sigh.

"I know you do." he replied kissing the side of her head.

"It's a perfect day to curl up on the couch, order in and watch movies." she suggested.

"I can't stop thinking about your book actually." He admitted.

"Really?" She asked surprised maneuvering herself so she was laying on her back and looked up at her husband who was propped up on his side.

"Yea. I mean clearly I don't know everything." He said to her. "I didn't know that was you that night April."

"At the bar with Jay? How would you?" She asked simply.

"I wish I would have introduced myself to you." He admitted.

"And what would have happened? You would have ran out of the bar with him and left your hot girlfriend and friends behind?" she teased.

"Maybe I could have helped." He shrugged. "I don't know."

"The point of the book isn't because I want sympathy it's because I want people to know that I learned from everything, every bad moment made me who I am today." she reminded him.

"I think the first time we met was memoir worthy." He added quietly and she giggled.

"There are so many moments in the book about us." She assured him. "And it's addressed it's just not detailed. Do you really remember meeting me that well?"

"Of course." He scoffed tightening his arms around her. "I used to dream about it."

"You did not." She laughed.

"Oh, honey believe me." He remarked. "I always dream of what it would have been like if you took me up on my offer."

"Trent was there." AJ reminded him giggling.

"I gave no fucks." He remarked seriously.

"I remember." She smiled thinking about that to that moment...

* * *

 ** _February 14,2009_**

 _AJ had just received tonight was her night. After countless matches against Serena Debb, AJ was about to be dethrone the Queen herself and she'd be walking out with the crown. AJ and Serena got along ok, they were completely different people. And the fact that Serena had moved up to Smackdown and worked with Punk in his Straight Edge Society her head had gotten even bigger. She was not happy to be drowning her 'Queen of UFC' crown to AJ at all. She felt it weakened her._

 _AJ was backstage talking to Naomi and Wade Barrett before her big match while Serena was off to the side with Punk and Luke._

" _This is a good thing. Once you're rid of this silly crown you can be on the road with us full-time." Punk told the young girl he was mentoring._

" _She acting like she's winning a real championship." Serena said with disgust nodding over to an excited AJ was a few people walked past her and wished her luck. "Everyone falls all over themselves for her too." she remarked bitterly folding her arms._

" _It doesn't matter how small the prize." Punk pointed out. "The women don't get offered a lot in the WWE so take what you can get, you can't be mad that she wants to be the best."_

 _"She's not the best." Serena scoffed. "She trained with Jay Lethal and sucked his dick so she thinks she's the best."_

" _Lethal huh?" Punk asked running his hand over his long beard._

" _Yea. Miss April on the indy scene. Thinks it makes her ten times better than all of us." Serena remarked._

" _If she really did train with him then she probably is better but that should motivate you to step up your game." Punk told her and she rolled her eyes._

" _Whose side are you on?" Serena demanded._

" _Yours. We're a team. If you look good, it makes us all look good." Punk reminded her. "You can lose gracefully."_

 _"Whatever." Serena muttered and stormed off._

" _Give me a minute." Punk said to Luke and headed straight ahead to AJ who was finally alone for a minute. "Hello." Punk greeted._

" _Hi." AJ said putting on a big smile._

" _Punk." He introduced shaking her hand._

" _I know who you are." AJ remarked happily "I'm April."_

 _"I know you as well." Punk said shooting her a grin. "I wanted to wish you luck tonight."_

 _"Isn't luck for losers?" She asked cutely causing him to laugh._

" _That is true." He agreed. "Ok,have a good match."_

 _"I always do." She informed him smugly and his smile grew larger. He eyed her from head to toe now and AJ titled her head in amusement._

" _You have plans for after the show?" he asked her._

" _No." She answered a little too quickly._

" _Either do I." He pointed out. "So how about you and I hang out?"_

 _"Hang out?" She mocked._

" _Back in my hotel room." He told her bluntly._

" _Oh, I can't do that. But I'd love to pick your brain one day about wrestling." She shrugged and his mouth dropped in shock._

" _You're turning me down?" He asked amused and she nodded._

" _I have a boyfriend." She informed him and he scoffed._

" _So?" he asked and AJ let out a laugh._

" _I'm also not that kind of a girl." She added with a sweet but genuine smile._

 _"I respect that." He had to admit. "A shame for you though."_

" _I'm here to wrestle." She told him matter of factly._

" _We'd be wrestling." He said simply and she tried not to laugh. "I'm giving you my best material here."_

 _"That's your best material?" She asked giggling._

" _Alright, not my best but I'm trying." He said to her. "I'm not just better than wrestling as Lethal."_

" _If you're looking to get under his skin because you two have this odd pissing contest still, you're really wasting your time because we haven't been together for a long time." She informed him._

" _It wasn't just about getting under his skin." Punk told her honestly. "So, you don't have a boyfriend is what you're saying?"_

 _"Wow." AJ laughed enjoying the fact that he didn't quit. "I do."_

 _"Hey Punk." Trent greeted walking over to the two and Punk laughed as Trent kissed AJ hello._

" _This guy?" Punk asked pointing at Trent._

" _Stop hitting on my girl." Trent warned teasingly._

 _"She didn't fall for any of it, you've got a good one." Punk told him and shook his hand. "I didn't know she was with you either."_

 _"It's fine." Trent said shaking it back. "It's good to see you."_

 _"You too." Punk said to him. "And it was nice meeting you April, I have a feeling I'll be seeing you around."_

* * *

"Did you really want to sleep with me or were you really just trying to stick it to Jay?" AJ asked curiously.

"Both." He said simply. "To this day you still have no idea how beautiful you are, tragedy." He frowned looking down at her and brushing her cheek with two gentle fingers. "I wanted to be with you that night and every night after."

"I can think of a few nights you wouldn't even look me in the face." She remarked.

"We had our differences at times." Punk had to admit reluctantly. "You were with someone else."

"And you were with Amy." She shot back. "That's the only reason I was with him."

"I wish you would have picked somebody else." Punk remarked. "How much of _him_ is in your book?" he asked with disgust.

"I didn't use his name." AJ told him. "But yes, of course he's mentioned. One of the my dumb mistakes that lead me to you."

"Did you not mention _his_ name to save his career?" Punk asked cautiously.

"I owe it to him." She whispered and Punk shook his head in disbelief.

"You don't owe him shit." Punk snapped sitting up. The topic of ' _him'_ always made him angry and she didn't blame him.

"Phil-" She started but he was already climbing over her and getting dressed.

"I hate when you say shit like that. You were the one who ended up hurt- not him." Punk reminded her sternly as he put his shirt on over his head.

"I used him." AJ reminded him sadly.

"So that means he gets a pass for what he did?" Punk asked her seriously. "To get that angry? What did he fucking think anyway? Everyone knew we had something going on and he was a fucking moron if he didn't see what everyone else did and what was the excuse for after I left?"

"You're right." AJ forced out.

"Don't just say that because that's what I want to hear, say it because you believe it." He practically ordered.

"I do believe it." She whispered looking up at him, wrapping the wool blanket around her body tighter.

"It drives me mad." He admitted falling to his knees before her and cupping her face. "That I wasn't there-"

"You were there." She pointed out. "You were my hero, you were then and you still are now."

"I hate that he gets to go out every night and do what he loves and no one knows what he's truly capable of." He said to her. "I hate that you had to leave and just because he was a chess piece in our little song and dance before we got together shouldn't have given him a free pass."

"I just don't want to think about it and I didn't want people to think I was lying. That this book was just a way to bash the people I used to work with it's so much more." She told him and he stood up clearly not happy with that response. "Where are you going?" she asked watching him walk to the door.

"I"m going to take Larry out." He told her.

"It's only 3:30 and it's about to rain." She argued. 

"He can piss at anytime no matter the weather." He said not even looking back at her as he walked out the door.

AJ was left feeling extra cold in the room. Punk was very sensitive of this _he_. _He_ almost cost AJ her marriage, he definitely cost AJ her career and Punk couldn't stand to hear or see him. Although _he_ did awful things to try to tear AJ's marriage apart she did feel bad because she did in fact use him to get under Punk's skin which worked all to well...

* * *

 **A/N: Just a short teasing chapter. Who is he? What the hell did he do? And keep up with the suggestions I'll try my best to fit them all into the story.**


	3. Mexico Tour

**A/N: The website is having trouble showing me reviews, I see I'm getting them but can't view them- they'll show up in a day or so, so please keep leaving them with your suggestions so I can write them. I saw one person requested first time so here it is:**

 **And even though I can't see all the reviews currently, I appreciate them! Thank you all for the warm welcome back!**

* * *

 **Mexico Tour**

* * *

AJ wandered down the stairs of the dark townhouse when she heard Punk come back in with Larry. She saw the side door opened so she knew both her boys were in the mock gym and headed in that direction. She found punk turning on the TV and stretching out.

"It's still really early." AJ noted and he cast his eyes over to her.

"Yea it is but I won't be able to fall back asleep." Punk said looking at the TV.

"I'm sorry." She said to him and he shook his head and looked back at her.

"Stop apologizing for him." He warned her. "I hate that."

"I'm not apologizing for him." She assured him. "You're angry and I get it. I should have told you I wouldn't be mentioning his name but I don't want him his name attached to mine forever. I mean it's easy for you to wish that I'd drag his name through the mud but forever my name and that story would be linked to be him and I don't want that."

"I get it." He sighed. "And it's your story to tell and I respect anything you decide but thinking about him in general pisses me off."

"So stop thinking about him." She suggested. "I was thinking it's a little chilly out and I could use a bath..."

"I really need-" He stopped when he turned to look at her, blanket gone and standing completely nude before him.

"You need what?" She asked placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head curiously as he eyed her body, a body he had just spent an hour inside of but suddenly it didn't feel like enough time.

"You." He rasped out nodding.

"You want to start the Jacuzzi?" she asked and he backed slowly to the stairs that would lead him downstairs to where they had their spa but he was literally walking backwards so he could look at her body.

"Yea I'll start it." he mumbled as she giggled.

* * *

AJ headed down the stairs and Punk was already in the how Jacuzzi waiting for her.

"It's nice and hot." He grinned and licked his lips as she climbed inside.

"Yes it is." She agreed as he parted his legs so she could lay in-between them and rest her back against his chest. "You know what this reminds me of?"

"Mexico?" He asked already knowing and she grinned at the memory.

"Yes." She smiled looking up at him from her position. "I got shipped off on that tour in 2011 when Layla got hurt and was terrified."

"I took care of you." He smirked.

"You really did." She remarked coyly.

"Our first time." He remembered. "Is _that_ in your book?"

"It might be." She admitted.

"It's nothing to hide. We weren't in relationships with other people. We were just two people comforting each other." He shrugged.

"I'm not ashamed of anything that lead me to you." She told him honestly.

* * *

" _Hey short stack." Punk greeted moving to sit next to her on the plane._

" _Hey." She smiled taking her headphones off._

" _I didn't realize you were on this tour." He pointed out._

" _I found out last night." She admitted. "Layla got hurt and they needed Beth to punch somebody else, tell her to take it easy on me."_

" _We're not on speaking terms." Punk informed her._

" _Oh I'm sorry I didn't realize you two broke up." AJ said genuinely._

" _I'm not." Punk shrugged. "She's a douche bag."_

" _Phillip." She scolded trying not to laugh._

" _Trent isn't on this tour?" He asked looking around._

 _"No. And we're also not exactly on speaking terms." AJ confided._

" _Ah, we're in the same boat." Punk nodded with a grin._

" _Don't get any ideas horn dog." She warned teasingly. "We're going to work it out."_

 _"I feel like you two breakup every week." Punk scoffed. "Is it even worth it anymore?"_

 _"I think so." She said to him._

" _What is it about him?" he asked her seriously._

" _I love him." She told him honestly._

" _You could do better." Punk said simply._

" _You don't even know Trent." She laughed._

 _"I know him well enough." Punk said to her. "I know him very well actually and he's not a bad guy, he's just not good enough for you."_

 _"And you are?" She asked._

" _Oh fuck no." he laughed. "You're so far out of my league it's ridiculous, that's why I gave up trying."_

 _"You're a great guy Phil." She told him honestly._

" _Still not good enough for you." He responded. "You need a buddy for the tour? Kofi and I have plenty of room in our rental." He offered._

 _"I'd really appreciate that actually." She said to him._

" _Yea when I saw you sitting alone here I didn't think you had much of a plan, don't think Beth is going to offer you a ride either." Punk remarked._

" _Are you asking me because you want to piss her off?" She asked him._

" _If I wanted to piss Beth off I'd do it without using you." Punk informed her. "I just think on your first Mexico tour and probably first time to Mexico in general you not be alone."_

 _"I was a little scared." She admitted._

" _You've got me." He reminded her smugly. "There's nothing to fear."_

* * *

 _After the first live event of the evening Punk had a few of the guys (and AJ) back to his room which was more like a private villa. He had a private pool, hot tub jacuzzi, huge TV and private bar._

" _How do I get rooms like this?" AJ asked Punk as she sat outside looking over the beach._

" _Just walk out of the company." Punk teased sipping his bottle of water. "Kofi and the guys are heading over to the club downstairs, interested?"_

 _"No." She practically laughed right in his face._

" _I didn't think so." Punk said and looked through the glass door and waved Kofi off, signaling she didn't want to go._

" _You're not going?" She asked._

" _It sounds as appealing to me as it does to you." He said honestly. "Clubs aren't my scene."_

" _It's still early though, do you mind company?" She asked hopefully._

" _No of course not." He said to her. "I was going to go for a swim actually."_

 _"I love the pool." She admitted with a bright smile. "I tried to go to the one downstairs but-"_

 _"You got pawed and whistled at the whole time?" He asked already knowing._

" _Something like that." She said uncomfortably tucking her hair behind her ear._

" _You're a beautiful girl April." Punk pointed out. "And now that you're on TV you're going to get that a lot."_

 _"I hate it." She admitted._

 _"I know you do." He frowned. "You can take a swim with me, you already have a suit on." He pointed out._

" _Night swimming is my favorite." She admitted looking back at the pool. It looked so beautiful the way it was lit up._

" _Come on." He said standing up and removing his shirt and she followed him into the pool._

 _Only Punk didn't go into the pool, he went into the hot tub jacuzzi that was attached while she jumped into the pool._

" _You don't want to swim with me?" She asked holding onto the brick divider between the pool and jacuzzi._

" _I would love that, only I don't know how to swim." He admitted without shame. "So I'm going to soak in here."_

" _Really?" She asked trying not to laugh._

" _Are you laughing at me?" He asked trying not to laugh himself._

" _No of course not but you're a grown adult, how can you not know how to swim?" She asked him._

" _I just don't." He said not really caring._

" _I can teach you." She offered._

 _"That's ok." He smirked. "Why don't you come in here?" he offered. "It'll help relax your muscles, Beth didn't take it easy on you."_

 _"You watched my match?" She asked surprised._

" _Yea of course." He said with a shrug._

 _AJ used her arms to climb over the tiny wall and step into the jacuzzi and Punk took her hand to help her down the steps and didn't let go until she sat next to him._

" _It's hot." she cringed._

" _That's usually how a hot tub works." Punk teased. "Just relax." He encouraged._

" _I'm trying." She said resting her back against the tile and closing her eyes. "Stop looking at me." She warned him with her eyes still closed._

 _Punk jerked his head back in surprise, he was definitely checking out her breasts in her white bikini top._

" _How did you know that?" he asked._

" _I can feel it." She said opening her right eye and shooting him a smirk._

" _How are things with Trent?" He asked her and she smiled to herself._

" _You say you're too good for me but you don't stop." She said opening both of her eyes and lolling her head to look at him._

" _I'm not trying anything." He defended. "If I wanted to sleep with you you'd be in my bed, not my hot tub."_

 _"So you don't want to sleep with me?" She asked him._

" _Not presently." He told her honestly. "Maybe its you who wants me." he joked. "Staying behind, offering to swim with me..." he was stunned whens he didn't respond but instead closed her eyes again. "April?" he asked._

 _"What's so wrong with that?" She asked him keeping her eyes closed. "Everyone on the road does it."_

 _"You don't." He reminded her. "You're not a one night stand kind of a girl."_

 _"Maybe that's what I need." She said simply._

" _Trent cheated on you didn't he?" Punk asked curiously and she again didn't respond. "You can do so much better. Why don't you just call it off with him?"_

 _"Because maybe I can't." She said picking her head up and looking at him._

" _You can." He countered. "Dump that loser and look for a guy who isn't here." He told her. "No relationships last on the road."_

" _That's not true." AJ defended._

" _Name a marriage that has lasted." He ordered. "And Stephanie and Paul don't count." she shut her mouth and tried to think of someone. "You need a guy with a 9-5, not one who gets so jealous of your career or is constantly tempted on the road. Someone who will put you before their career."_

 _"You don't think you can have a meaningful relationship on the road?" she questioned curiously._

 _"No I don't." He told her honestly. "The sooner you learn that the better."_

" _The road sounds dull." She admitted._

" _It does but after this shit with Beth I promised myself I'd never date another woman who worked her currently. Nobody on the roster." he told her confidently._

" _I should really dry off." She said standing up but he wrapped his hand gently around her wrist._

" _Doesn't mean I don't want to fun either." He noted and she knew what he was implying._

 _AJ slowly sat back down and made sure her body was facing his._

" _As long as you know this is exactly what it is." He warned her. "It's not a relationship it's-"_

 _"-fun." She finished for him._

" _A lot of guys back here have trouble understanding that. They become clingy and needy- it's usually never the girls." He told her seriously. "You have to make sure it's someone you trust so you don't get labeled in the locker room or that it doesn't get back to your boyfriend."_

 _"He's not my boyfriend." AJ reminded him._

 _"Honey, I don't care if you have a boyfriend because I'm a guy and I'm not thinking about a co-workers feelings, I'm thinking about yours." He told her and she nodded._

" _I don't want to think at all right now." She admitted._

 _"Your boyfriend cheated on you, you got stuck on a tour alone, you're still too new to have good friends- I get it." He said to her. "I've been there."_

 _"Have you really though?" She asked mockingly._

" _Yea I have." He confirmed. "You're also not a one night stand kind of a girl so I really want you to think about this."_

 _"If I went up to any other guy in the locker room-" She began._

" _They'd already been inside of you." He finished for her. "I'm not like them, well usually, I just happen to be very fond of you." He said giving her half a smile._

 _"Is it a one night stand if you're not a stranger and a friend?" She asked hopefully._

" _I guess it's not." He agreed. He wanted AJ, he wanted her so bad he could taste it. But he'd feel just as dirty as her if it was just some 'one night stand'.  
"Like friends with benefits."_

 _"I like that." She said to him nodding in agreement. "Now I think we've talked so long about it that it's awkward."_

" _Yea." Punk had to agree scratching the back of his head. "Next time we'll just-"_

 _AJ grabbed his face and pressed his lips to hers. On the flight over she dreamed of being with him. Actually, she dreamed about it more times then she'd care to admit. They were finally on the same page and she wasn't going to let 'awkwardness' ruin this moment for her. She needed this night. She wanted this night. She was so sick of being the 'good girl' and she would never would have never offered herself up to someone like this who wasn't Punk. There was no male backstage she trust more than her good friend Phil._

" _April." he murmured against her lips as she crawled over him so she was straddling his lap. "Are you sure?" he asked as he untied her bikini top._

 _"You're already undressing me." She pointed out a little breathless._

" _I'm just trying to be the better person, my hands have a mind of their own." He admitted almost pained. "April-"_

 _AJ leaned back some and pulled off her bikini top fully and Punk licked his lips. Punk cupped her face and began to kiss her again. There was no going back anymore. This was happening. Punk's hands first explored her bare back as their tongues wrestled for dominance and then finally his lips moved to her neck and she sat up on her knees and his mouth moved over her right breast. AJ cradled his head there as he began to sensually suck on her nipple and she gasped as his teeth scrapped over the hardening peck._

 _Punk's arms were still at her back and he kept her tightly in place as she moved to her left breast and devoured her there next. She was moaning and looking up at the sky trying to calm her body that was was so hot she was sure she would burn. The way his hands and mouth touched her brought her to another level that she couldn't even describe. One of his hands moved to her front and dipped into hr bottoms and his two fingers slid up and down her folds. AJ lowered her hips some and slid ring onto to his two waiting fingers and he grinned as he watched her face turn to bliss._

" _You are so hot." He groaned and kissed her mouth again. He used his free hand to grab her ass and jerk her across his hips and his fingers deeper inside of her and she moaned into his mouth._

" _Phil." She warned._

 _"You're going to have to let go before I go any further." He warned her as his thumb drew circles over her sensitive nub._

 _AJ's hips moved in synch of his fingers and it wasn't long until she was milking his fingers. He smiled proudly and kissed the corner of her mouth as the sweetest sounds came out of it._

" _You ok?" He asked her._

" _Yes." she whispered. "More." She whispered against his lips before capturing them again._

" _Can you handle me?" he asked half seriously._

" _I don't know, but I'm willing to find out." She told him honestly._

 _In a few moments both of their bottoms were gone and she was sinking slowly onto his hard shaft. Their hips were hugging and he was stretching her body and testing it like it never had been tested before. He was being patient (to the best of his ability) to give her body a chance to get familiar with him._

" _You are so unbelievably tight." He groaned as his nails dug into her shoulders. "Fuck Ape."_

" _I'm ready." She told him nodding feverishly. "I am so unbelievably ready."_

 _AJ began to lift her hips and move herself and Punk just let her as he laid back and let her take the lead for now. He groaned as she almost parted their bodies completely then sunk back down hard onto him. She did this a few times before Punk couldn't take it any more. He gripped her hips and kept her in place and captured her mouth._

 _Punk began to move up into her body and she couldn't do anything but grip the concrete behind his head and let him plow up into her. His hands were everywhere and her knees were getting weak as he moved without remorse. She wasn't sure how long this was going on or how loud she was but neither seemed to care._

" _Fuck Phil." She hissed as she felt her stomach began to knot almost painfully. The positions she was in wasn't that comfortable but he was making her feel so good she didn't even care._

" _Are you gonna cum?" He asked almost threateningly. "Cum." He ordered._

" _It's so-" She began then gasped as he hit into her g-spot expertly, a spot that her exes rarely were able to find._

" _Scream my name." He encouraged knowing that's exactly what she wanted to do, and she did._

 _A moment later her body went limp as he pushed into her two more times before releasing into her body. Her head was resting on his shoulder and both were trying to catch their breaths._

" _Promise me this won't change anything." He said to her and she lifted her head slightly. "Promise me we'll still be friends."_

 _"Always." She promised without hesitation._

* * *

 _The next morning AJ woke up in Punk's bed, where they had ended the evening only a three hours earlier. He took her all night long in his lavish king size bed and she let him. This was the most satisfying night of her life. She realized she was laying directly in the middle of the bed and Punk wasn't with her._

" _I have an early signing to get to." Punk announced walking out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower clearly. He was in his jeans and a simple white t-shirt, it complimented his tan perfectly and suddenly she felt the urge to rip him out of his clothes. "You can stay and order up and breakfast, use the shower, whatever you need."_

 _"I need clothes." She said remembering she showed up in her bathing suit and she had no idea where it got tossed to._

" _Just take something out of my bag." He said not looking at her at all._

" _Why are you avoiding me?" She asked curiously. "You said we'd still be friends."_

 _"Because if I look at you wrapped up in my bed sheets I'm not going to make it to the signing." He said honestly as he checked his phone._

" _I had a good time last night." She said to him and he reluctantly looked at her._

" _Me too." he said to her. "But this was-"_

 _"A one time thing." She finished for him._

 _"Yea, I mean I told you I'm not getting involved with a girl who works here and you're still working out shit with your boyfriend. I don't need that kind of drama." He told her honestly and she always respected his honestly._

" _I know and I agree." She said to him and he kissed the top of her head._

" _Hang out until the show, and again order room service and eat- it's on me." He said winking at her then walked out of the bedroom._

 _AJ took her time like Punk told her to. She showered and cleaned off before fishing out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from his luggage. When she walked out of his room she bumped right into Justin Gabriel._

" _Hey Justin." She stated rather nervously. Justin was one of Trent's best friends on the road._

" _AJ." He stated stiffly. She began to walk down the hall to the elevator to go back to her room but Justin caught up to her._

" _How could you do that to him?" Justin asked her bluntly and she turned her head slowly._

 _"What?" AJ asked._

 _"I saw you last night." Justin said to her. "I left my phone at Punk's and when I went back to get it I saw you two in the hot tub."_

 _"Justin-" She began._

" _I told Trent." Justin informed her. "He's my best friend but I'm also your friend and you have as much right to know I told him as much as he had a right to know."_

 _"It was one time." AJ defended sadly._

" _I know he's not perfect either so I'm hoping you both can work this out because at the end of the day CM Punk isn't going to stick around. He doesn't love you." Justin lectured. "Trent loves you."_

 _"What did he say?" AJ asked nervously biting onto one of her nails._

 _"He said he deserved it." Justin told her and AJ's heart broke. "Maybe he did but you should talk to him."_

" _I will." AJ said to him. "I'm sorry I put you in a bad position."_

 _"I'm sorry I walked in on it." Justin sighed. "And I hate being a fucking rat." He said kicking himself._

" _It's ok. I would have done the same thing." She assured him._

* * *

"What a fucking rat he was." Punk scoffed at the story. "Justin knew me longer."

"He was just looking out for Trent." AJ sighed almost falling asleep against his chest in their own jacuzzi.

"And what a fucking perv, he had to have seen us and walked out there. He was watching us." Punk said disgusted.

"Maybe he heard us." AJ shrugged.

"Heard you." Punk said seriously. "You were loud."

"I was not." She defended.

"You were so loud babe." he said ignoring her defense. "I thought it was so fucking hot though."

"I had never had it that good." She told him honestly and he grinned.

"Keep feeding my ego baby." He encouraged. "Tell me more about how big and great I was."

"I didn't see you were the biggest." She snorted and she could feel his glare about her head and smiled. "I'm kidding."

"Tip honey, don't joke about my dick." He warned teasingly. "But that was a great night."

"A night where you said was one time and we'd be just friends." She reminded him. "But then sabotaged my relationship right after."

"I did no such thing." Punk defended. "I protected you. That's what I do."

"And you do it well." she grinned grabbing his large hand and kissing it. "Trent wasn't bad though."

"Nah. He was just an idiot." Punk agreed.

"Even after you got him fired he's still nice when he sees us." She pointed out.

"He was on his way out anyway." Punk defended.

"You put the final nail in his coffin." AJ reminded him.

"He shouldn't have messed with you." Punk shrugged.

* * *

 _A couple of months after Mexico things had changed. Punk had gotten back together with Amy and her and Trent were back together but then officially ended for good recently. He was hurt when she slept with Punk, but he wasn't a saint either and they both agreed to work past it. But once AJ was called out by one of his mistresses on the internet and her career skyrocketed to the point where she worked with mega stars Daniel Bryan, John Cena and now Ziggler. Trent had a lot of issues trusting her when she began to work with Punk but it was a short story, her story with Ziggler really drove him insane and they were over. She ended it and he was hurt by it._

" _Why did you tell Nick that I slept around?" AJ demanded approaching Trent backstage near the men's locker room, but far enough where no one could hear it._

" _He's 'Nick' to you now?" Trent mocked. "And did you not?"_

 _"Trent-" She began._

" _He asked and I told him." Trent shrugged._

 _"You left out how you slept around with numerous women and I only slept with one other man." AJ whispered harshly. "You're killing my reputation!"_

 _"Am I? I feel like you could commit murder and Vince would just look the other way and put you in another main-event." Trent shot at her._

" _Please just stop talking about me." She pleaded._

" _It's not like I'm talking about who you slept with." Trent told her. "Because that would be tragic. Imagine word got around that you were banging the most popular guy here I'm sure that push you got had nothing to do with it."_

" _Don't you-" she began._

" _And the fact that he's dating your idol." Trent added. "That would look awful. So be thankful I'm not taking it that far."_

 _"Trent please." She pleaded as her eyes began to fill with water._

 _"I'm on my way out April." Trent laughed. "I have no reason to keep your secret but I'm choosing to because I'm not a total dick."_

 _"No it's because Colt and Cliff told you not to." AJ shot back. "And you're scared of pissing off Punk."_

" _I'm not scared of him." Trent scoffed. "This isn't easy for me April, being here and watching you-"_

 _"So go!" She yelled._

" _You go!" Trent yelled back._

" _I'm making a name for myself here!" AJ yelled._

" _No you're fucking your way to the top." Trent argued back._

" _You don't know me at all." She said shaking her head in disbelief._

" _I thought you were different April." Trent admitted then looked at her with disgust. "You're everything Jay warned me about." he said pointing at her then walked off._

" _Trent wait!" She yelled wiping the tears from her face and grabbed his arm. "Please don't tell anyone." she almost sobbed._

" _I shouldn't do you any favors April. You have the nerve to get in my face?" he asked disgusted. "I should let it all fall down around you." He snatched his arm away and left her crying in the hall._

 _AJ was frozen in place for a few minutes, off to the side near the private locker rooms where she knew she wouldn't see anybody. Her face was red and cheeks stained with tears._

" _Hey short stack." Punk greeted then frowned when he saw her face. "April?" he asked cupping her chin so she was looking at him._

 _"I have to go." She said quickly trying to pass him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his private locker room._

" _What's going on?" He asked her._

" _Phil I can't-" She started but he stood in front of the door. "Let me go!" She yelled._

 _"Not until you tell me what the hell has gotten you so upset." He told her standing his ground._

" _I got into an argument with Trent." She said to him. "Happy? Can I go?"_

 _"No I'm not." He said to her._

" _He threatened to tell everyone that we slept together." She told him._

 _"Excuse me?" Punk asked hoping he misheard her. "How the fuck does he know that?"_

 _"Justin saw us and told him after that night." AJ insisted. "He was upset and told Colt and Cliff and they warned him not to open his mouth and he hasn't."_

 _"You two got back together after we were together." Punk pointed out._

" _I know! But we didn't last and he's spreading awful rumors about me and I tried to ask him to stop and he said he'd spread that around." She rambled. "I-"_

 _"Relax." he said to her placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'll talk to him."_

" _Don't." She begged. "He really isn't going to say anything he's too scared of you. He's just trying to upset him."_

 _"And that's exactly why I'm going to talk to him." Punk said to her. "I'm not going to let him make you cry. That's not ok and he needs to know that."_

" _I don't need you to fight my battles." She insisted._

" _I'm not. This involves me just as much." Punk said to her calmly._

" _I need to get ready I have a match." She said trying to get by him._

" _Hang out in here and clean up." He offered. "Amy isn't here tonight and I have load of things to do. Use my locker room tonight."_

 _"Ok." She sniffled and felt his lips kiss the top of her head._

* * *

"What did you say to him?" AJ asked curiously.

"I said if he ever made you cry again I'd knock his teeth down his throat." Punk said as he ran his fingers through her damp hair. "He tried to get tough, we got into a shoving match and Vince asked what the problem was and I told him I didn't want Trent around."

"So you did get him fired." She noted.

"Vince told me he had his termination papers on his desk." Punk assured her. "He was getting fired regardless. I wish you didn't wait so long to tell me he had that hanging over your head."

"I wanted to make it work." she admitted. "But thank you."

"I told you I'd always have your back." he reminded her. "I didn't need you in my bed to keep that promise. I hated to see you cry, I still do."

"I don't cry much anymore." She pointed out proudly. "You keep me very happy."

"That's my life plan." he whispered.


	4. Last Time

**Last Time**

* * *

After their Jacuzzi bath they headed back upstairs were they both were able to drift off too sleep for a bit. Well AJ drifted off to sleep, Punk was still up and couldn't help but watch her sleep. He loved to watch her sleep. It would relax him more than anything. The first night they were together in Mexico he watched her sleep all night. Her chest slowly rising and falling,her eyes twitching when she would dream, her lips parting slightly as she'd let out a silent breath, it was beautiful to him. _She_ was beautiful to him. He often had trouble falling asleep because he was still so infatuated by her. He had never done a drug in his life but he imagined what the addiction felt like, she was his addiction.

 _After Wrestlemania 29 Punk wasn't on TV. It was no secret he was displeased with losing his match to the Undertaker. He wasn't on TV that following week nor was he on tours. There were rumors of him taking time off but he wasn't around for AJ to ask. She found out for sure like the rest of the world when he walked out into the middle of the ring the following week and announced he was going to be leaving for a short time. AJ wasn't sure if he was truly hurt or he was going for good._

 _Her and Punk were on the outs. It was no secret that their friendship ended right around the time of the Royal Rumble but that was another story. She was afraid to approach him and ask how he was because no matter how hurtful they were being to each other she still cared about him, she still loved him. She saw him sneak out the back of the arena and she subtly chased after him so no one would spot her either. He was walking to a car since he didn't bother to take his bus._

" _Phil!" She yelled out and he stopped and looked back at her._

" _Short stack." He forced out and her heart melted. He hadn't called her that in weeks and it meant he wasn't as mad at her anymore._

" _Where are you going?" She asked with wide eyes._

" _Home." He told her honestly. "I haven't been myself." he admitted. "I think you more than anyone knows that."_

 _"We both haven't been ourselves." She agreed. "I'm sorry for-"_

 _"Don't." He said cutting her off. "You made your choices, I made my mine so we live with them."_

 _"I can't live with them and have you hate me." She told him and he gave her a sad smile._

" _I could never hate you Ape." He promised her. "You confuse me and you know that. I need to clear my head."_

 _"And be away from me?" She asked hurt._

" _Away from everyone but mostly you." He told her not holding her back. "I'm all over the place Ape, I can't stay this angry at you and being here on the road make me really fucking angry."_

 _"I didn't mean for you to leave." She said to him._

" _It's not your fault." He sighed. "I think I'm very much to blame for a lot of this unnecessary drama going on between the two of us."_

 _"You are." She agreed and he chuckled. "Are you ok?"_

 _"What?" He asked taken back._

" _Your knee." She pointed. "I know you hit it bad during your match and you've been favoring it."_

 _"You know you're the only person to ask me how I'm physically feeling?" He asked almost amused._

" _I'm still your friend even if you're not mine." She told him and his heart sunk._

" _I'm always your friend." He said seriously. "Have I been pissed off? Yes. But do I have a right to be? No, I'm with Amy and you're with him-"_

 _"It's not like that." She said shaking her head._

" _It is exactly like that." He said to her. "I can't expect you to stay celibate for the rest of your life because I don't like seeing you with other men, especially when I'm with someone else. Someone I love very much."_

 _"I get it." She said putting on a brave smile._

" _I just don't like him." He said to her. "And I think you're going to end up hurt and you're going to end up hurt because you're trying to drive me fucking crazy for some reason and that's what kills me. I won't sit back and watch you cry or hurt anymore April."_

 _"I'll be fine." She whispered looking down at her feet._

" _If you really felt that way you'd look me in the eye." He said to her. "I just need to get away from this place it's fucking toxic."_

 _"I'm sorry I made it that way for you it wasn't my intention." She told him._

" _You didn't." He assured her. "He did. But I am hurting physically it's not all mental."_

" _I never wanted to push you away." She said shaking her head. "I was trying-"_

 _"I know what you were trying to do." He said to her. "And it worked. I just need to think with my brain and not my heart."_

 _"So that's why you're going?" she asked him. "Your heart thinks you should be here with me?"_

 _"My heart is always here with you." He replied smoothly._

 _"For such a jackass you really do have knack for saying sweet things." She said plastering on a smile trying not to cry._

" _I love her." Punk told her very seriously. "I've put a lot of years and time our relationship and I can't just drop her. It's not fair."_

 _"I understand." She said to him. "I'm the other women."_

 _"Don't say it like that." He frowned. "You're more than that. If it makes you feel any better I blame myself for all of this. I'm hurting you everyday and it's hurting me in return and I can't do it anymore."_

 _"I'll go." She said to him. "I'll take the time off-"_

 _"You're about to get the title." He reminded her._

" _You were here first and you love it-" She began to argue._

" _You love it too." He countered. "Don't ever give up something you love for somebody else." He spat at her. "You need to start standing up for yourself, do you hear me?" he demanded._

" _I hear you." She assured him._

" _Say it like you mean it." He ordered._

" _I will!" She yelled holding back tears and he shook his head and pulled her against his chest. She clung to him as if she was holding on for life. "I'm going to miss you."_

 _"It won't be forever." He promised her._

" _Where are you going right now?" she asked him. "Are you driving home? That's like five hours."_

 _"I was going to stop and try to sleep." he said to her._

" _Want company?" She offered._

" _That's a terrible idea." He said to her. This was exactly what he was running from. He looked over past her and saw him watching from the door. "He's waiting for you." he hissed glaring at the man._

" _He's not my boyfriend." She told him._

" _Ok." He said to her as she let go. The pang of jealousy and fear hit him and he grabbed her wrist all the while keeping his eye on the man. "Let's get out of here." he knew being with him was bad, he just didn't want her with him at all._

" _You just said-" she began._

" _Can Celeste collect your stuff for you? I want to leave now." He said cutting her off and she nodded._

 _He opened the passenger side door for her and she got in. Punk flipped him off after and walked around the car and got in with her._

" _You really just don't want him me around me." She said knowing that was the only reason he was taking her with him. He started the car and literally screeched as he sped out of the parking lot._

" _I really don't. But that's not the only reason." He said to her._

* * *

 _AJ only had one shoe off when Punk attacked her lips and began stripping her of her clothing. They weren't at a fancy hotel, they were at a rundown motel off of the highway. They didn't care where they were as long as they were together. She was in her bra and jean shorts when he lifted her so her legs were wrapped around his waist._

" _You know I love you, right?" He asked her seriously and she nodded. "No April, verbal."_

 _"I know." She said sadly._

 _"You know this is it too?" He asked her. "We can't do this again. It hurts too much- you get that right?"_

 _"I'm a big girl Phillip." She told him. "I can handle this."_

" _I'm going back home to Amy." He told her bluntly. "And you're going to go back to work and get that title and we're not going to see each other for a while."_

" _I know." She agreed. "Time apart is going to be good for us. We'll get it out of our system."_

 _"We've been saying that since the first time." He reminded her._

" _If you're getting cold feet I'll call a cab-" he cut her off by kissing her._

" _Tonight you're mine." He growled collapsing on top of her as they crashed onto the bed. "For one last night, for one last time..."_

 _"I'm yours." She finished in a sensual whisper and he was aroused beyond belief. Her being his was unbelievably sexy to him. "One last time." She added._

* * *

He peered over to his sleeping beauty and chuckled to himself. How he could ever walk away from her or think that would be it was a case of severe denial. He knew deep down that night it was only the start of their next crazy chapter. People wondered how him and his wife could be so boring and hangout inside all day but they had no idea how crazy it was for them to actually get together. He used to dream of nights he could lay and watch her sleep without the fear of being caught or having to sneak out before she would wake up because saying goodbye to her after a night together was the most painful thing to him.

"I want pancakes." He heard her sleepy voice.

"What?" He asked with a chuckle and watched as her eyes shot open.

"I want pancakes. It's morning, isn't it?" She asked and he looked at the time and wasn't surprised he was thinking for four hours while she slept.

"I'll make you pancakes." He said kissing her lips.

"With strawberries?" She asked cutely.

"Yes." He said to her as he reluctantly crawled out of the bed.

"You don't look like you slept all night." She noted.

"I didn't." He admitted. "I kept thinking."

"About the fight?" She asked nervously.

"No actually." He said surprised, surprised that thoughts of her finally gave him a night of peace from that. "I was thinking about you."

"Good thoughts?" she asked hopefully.

"Amazing thoughts." He said to her. "I was thinking about that night before I left after Mania."

"I wrote about that in my book." She told him and his eyes widened.

"Yea?" he asked and she nodded. "The cliff note version I hope, unless your memoir is taking a fifty shades turn."

"No." She giggled. "I hated that night."

"I thought it was good." He shrugged.

"I thought it was the end." She told him and he frowned. "I didn't think you'd come back to me."

"I couldn't stay away. You're like a magnet." He said to her. "I couldn't shake you no matter how hard I tried."

"I thought you hated me." She added.

"I never hated you at any point in my life." He said to her.

"You told me you hated me." She reminded him and he shook his head at that memory he wasn't willing to give much thought about.

"I was angry. I wasn't myself." He said to her. "You still think about that?"

"I hadn't until I wrote the book." She said sitting up. "I had been through a lot in my childhood and adult life but nothing ever hurt me like those words coming from you." His heart sank and he wasn't sure how to respond. "I don't blame you for saying it. I wanted you to hate me."

"I didn't." He said to her from across the room. "I hated myself and I hate myself even more for seeing how much that still bothers you."

"It doesn't bother me. But that's also in the book and I don't want you caught off guard." she said to him.

"It's our story and you have every right to talk about it. I'm not proud of that moment. I wish I could take it back believe me." He said to her. "Those were the dark days."

"The darkest." She agreed. "Not just for you."

"I know." He said walking over to her and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I forget sometimes everything you were going through without telling me."

"It wasn't that bad." She assured him trying to put on a brave face.

"I would kill him if I could." He told her grabbing her hand.

"Phil." She sighed. "You're going to have realize there's a chance you're going to bump into him one day."

"They say that time away makes you less angry but that's not the case for me and him." Punk said to her. "The more I think about him the more angry I get."

"He's living his life and we're living ours." She reminded him. "The fact that we're so happy is what kills him."

"Not literally." He said sadly. "He almost ended our marriage." He reminded her. "He manipulated the both of us."

"And he's the one alone right now." She shrugged. "And here we are in our beautiful home about to stuff our faces with pancakes. We don't have a schedule to follow we're retired and can do whatever we want to do. We have it all."

"Yea." he had to agree. "Doesn't mean I won't beat the shit out of him if and when I see him again and I know for sure I can take him!" he pointed out as he walked out of the room and she let out a sigh.

* * *

 **A/N: Yikessss what the hell went on during that time? Why did he hate her? How did they go from that to marriage? So much going on...**


	5. Scarlet Letter

**Scarlet Letter**

* * *

AJ devoured the delicious pancakes that were provided to her in bed by her husband. She was already on her second cup of coffee and ready to start her day, even though the day was free to do whatever.

"What do you want to do today?" Punk asked curiously as he sipped his own coffee.

"I was hoping to go to the Cubs game but I guess it might be rained out." She said to him and he nearly choked on his coffee.

"Can you repeat that louder then pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming?" He asked seriously.

"What?" She laughed.

"You want to go to a Cubs game?" he asked astonished. "Since when do you want to go? Since when do you attend of your own free will?"

"All of that talk last night reminded me of our second date." She shrugged innocently.

"Second date? You can remember that?" He asked her. "Wasn't that on the road-"

"No I mean official. When we decided to stop seeing other people and be with each other exclusively." She affirmed. "You took me back to Chicago with you  
and to the Cubs game."

"Oh yea." He smirked.

"You caught me a ball." She reminded him with a smile. "I still have it in a glass case in my office."  
"I'll take you to so many play-off games that you're going to regret ever volunteering to come with me." He warned her seriously.

"It's ok. I like seeing you happy." She shrugged sipping her coffee again.

"I am happy." He noted.

"You're depressed." She countered. "You're not over this fight."

"I never will be." He told her honestly. "But I don't want to think about that right now. I'm actually still thinking about your book."

"Why?" She asked amused.

"I'm wondering what other stories that are in there that I have no idea about." He told her.

"I'm pretty sure you're aware of everything." She said sipping her coffee quickly.

"Yea? So why won't you look me in the eye and tell me that?" Punk asked seriously. "What's in there?"

"There's just small stories about time with Jay and...well you know." She trailed off. "Nothing major."

"I understand Jay being in your story I really do." He said to her. "Just him-"

"He's only really in one chapter and you can skip that one." She said to him and he rolled his eyes.

"There's no surprises about Jay in there? Anything that will make me want to beat him down more than I want to? Maybe go beat down his new best friend?" Punk asked seriously referring to Colt.

"It is kind of funny that I ended up with you and Jay and Colt ended up being best friends." She noted with a smirk.

"Two fucking losers." He scoffed. "They belong together. I clearly got the better end of the deal."

"I heard from him you know." She said to him and Punk narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why is Colt reaching out to you?" Punk asked angrily.

"Not Colt." She said and his eyes widened.

"Jay Lethal reached out to you?" He asked and she nodded. "How?"

"Colt gave him my number." AJ told him and Punk shook his head in disbelief.

"Is he fucking crazy?" Punk said getting out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" She asked with a frown.

"To Colts and I'm going to punch him in the face after I ask him why he gave my wife's number to her ex-boyfriend." He said putting on a t-shirt and she jumped out of bed.

"Phil it's fine." She assured him. "It wasn't a bad phone call."

"When did he call you?" Punk demanded.

"The week of your fight." She said to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her.

"You were preoccupied." She told him honestly. "And it really was a five minute conversation and it was about the book. It was nothing for you to be upset about."

"I am upset." He snapped. "Why does Colt think it's ok to pass your number around like candy?"

"I don't think Colt cares much for me, he never really has." She noted and he flared his nostrils.

"He's an asshole." Punk said to her.

"Don't go there." She pleaded. "If you don't go I'll tell you what he said."

"You're going to tell me anyway." He said to her.

"He just wanted to congratulate me and ask how bad he looked." she said to him. "I told him I was honest and fair and thanked him and we hung up."

"Piece of shit." He muttered. "What's his number?"

"I didn't save it." She laughed.

"Good answer." He said annoyed and walked into their closet.

"I think a lot has gone these past two years." She noted following him into the closet. "Two injuries, a surgery, a falling out with your best friend, endless days and nights of working out- it's been brutal for you and I think you're just looking to take your anger out on someone."

"Let it be Colt." Punk shrugged without a care in the world. "Fucking prick giving _my_ wife's number out to anyone let alone her fucking ex?"

"I don't even think of him." AJ said amused by his reaction. "Literally ever. I barely consider him an ex. He's not the enemy Phil."

"Yea I guess." he mumbled.

"I mean Jay was a total dick but he didn't hurt me physically, he didn't verbally attack me." She assured him. "He just didn't take our relationship seriously."

"I just don't like that he called you." Punk admitted. "And no matter what I'm doing if someone from your past who makes you uncomfortable calls you I want you to tell me." He insisted.

"He didn't make me uncomfortable." She smirked.

"I'm going to text Colt though." Punk said walking out of the closet and grabbing his phone. "Make sure he doesn't give your number out to one more person."

"Do you think the rain will let up and you can take me to a game?" She asked trying to get him off the topic of Colt and Jay.

"No." He said to her. "You really had fun at that game?"

"I felt so important." She grinned. "You had these amazing seats and no tickets! You just said your name and we were ushered in and I met all of these people in players who I still don't know who they are but I'm sure they were important."

"Just the owner and some all-star players." He mocked brushing it off and she just shrugged cutely.

"We also gave ourselves away at that game." She noted.

"Yea." Punk remembered scratching the back of his head. "Amy was not pleased."

"Oh really?" AJ asked intrigued. "You didn't tell me you heard from her."

"I didn't?" He asked innocently.

"Nope." She said folding her arms. "Looks like we both did the same thing."

"I'm sure Jay was nicer to you than Amy was to me." Punk laughed sarcastically.

* * *

 _AJ and Punk were curled up on his couch after the game. They were watching Batman begins and AJ had passed out cold. Her work schedule was a little heavier than his at the moment so he wasn't surprised she was so exhausted. His phone kept vibrating and he couldn't ignore it any longer. He carefully maneuvered his new 'official' girlfriend off of his chest and stood up and groaned when he saw he had four missed called from his ex- Amy. The phone started to ring again and he quickly answered._

" _Ames." He greeted._

 _"Don't you dare." She hissed._

" _What's up?" He asked having no idea him and AJ were spotted at the game._

" _How was the Cubs game?" She asked. "You give her my seat?"_

" _Amy-" He began._

" _Shut up." She stated sadly. "How could you humiliate me like this."_

 _"We're not together." He reminded her stepping into the next room so he wouldn't wake AJ._

" _We've barely been broken up, this only proves that you were still seeing her when we were together!" Amy shouted._

" _That's not true." Punk insisted._

" _I caught you two." Amy reminded him coldly. "You told me-"_

 _"I know what I told you." He snapped cutting her off. "I can't not live my life because you're still upset."_

 _"Don't make me out to be a crazy bitch." Amy scoffed. "You took her to that bowling event and then slept with her!"_

 _"We weren't together!" He shouted back. "We were on a break."_

 _"Classic." Amy snorted. "You're a real son of a bitch. You couldn't wait a few weeks for me to at least tell my family that we were over before you paraded her all over TV."_

 _"I didn't realize we were on TV." Punk told her honestly. "I am sorry for that."_

 _"You said we were taking time apart, this today shows me that it's just over for good." Amy said to him._

" _It is." Punk said to her._

" _You're an idiot you know that right?" Amy asked him. "She's young and has her whole career ahead of her. You told me you couldn't date anybody in the business so now you dumped me for the busiest and most popular female in the company? Do you think she's going to give up work for you?"_

 _"I wouldn't ask her to do that." Punk said shaking his head._

" _Oh please." She snorted. "You need constant attention. Do you think she's going to follow you around like some lost puppy dog like I have? That she'll go to Chicago every week and sit at Hawks and Cubs games with you like I do? She's too young and has too much going on."_

" _You don't know her." Punk said to her. "And it's not like that- I don't even know why I'm discussing this with you!"_

" _I do know her, I was her." Amy reminded him. "She's a wrestler she wants to wrestle, you want to retire and stay at home."_

 _"So?" Punk asked._

" _So? You'll barely see her! And while you're sitting home alone watching games she'll be on the road with all the guys looking to stick it to you by sticking into your girl." She warned him in a sinister voice. "He's still working there, you don't think he'll have her back in her bed the second you're off the road? You think she'll turn him down?"_

 _"Shut the fuck up." Punk hissed at her. "Don't call me again."_

* * *

"What a bitch." AJ scoffed. "I don't blame her though. Did you worry about me on the road?"

"I worried about your safety on the road, I think I made that very clear. Especially since you traveled alone." He pointed out as he sat back in the bed.

"No I mean with other guys." She clarified.

"I never doubted you for a second." Punk told her honestly. "You know, until he forced his way into the middle of our marriage and played us like fools."

"I never would have been with him." She told him.

"I hate that I ever doubted you." he said to her.

"Without him I don't think we'd be as strong as we are today." She said to him and Punk glared at her.

"I think we need to just get all out in the open or I'm going to go crazy." He laughed bitterly.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned.

"Him." He said to her. "I want to discuss everything that went on between you two."

"You already know." AJ reminded him. "Why bring it all up again?"

"Because it's a part of your book." He pointed out. "I want to know about the moment you decided that he was the answer to your problems."

"Phil-" She began with a sigh.

"I have a right to know." he said to her.

"Do you?" She questioned. "You were with somebody else." she painfully reminded him.

"Ok, I just want to know." He admitted defeated.

"You get so angry when we he's brought up..." she warned him.

"I'll be good and patient and listen." He swore.

"If I'm going to start this I'm going to start at the way beginning." She said letting out a breath.

* * *

 _AJ had her down as she ducked backstage after her segment. She knew he would be hot on her trail so she walked as quickly as possible hoping he wouldn't catch up to her._

" _AJ!" his voice yelled out drawing attention._

 _AJ pretended she didn't hear it and made a few quick turns as she tried to get back to the Diva's locker room as quickly as possible. He knew what she did, she knew what she did and know the world would be talking about it. Why did she do it? She'll never know. It just felt right._

" _April!" He growled out grabbing her arm._

" _Punk I don't have time." AJ said turning to face him._

" _Don't 'Punk' me." He warned bitterly. "What the hell were you thinking out there?"_

 _"What do you mean?" AJ asked innocently._

 _"You shoved your tongue down my throat." He reminded her trying to not explode. "That wasn't the script. The script said to grab my face and kiss me roughly not shove your tongue down my throat!" he shouted._

" _Your tongue was in my mouth too." AJ argued. "You were supposed to pull away and didn't!"_

 _"How was I supposed to-" He stopped talking when he realized people were watching them. "Can I help you?" He snapped at the few Divas passing by._

" _It got out of hand I didn't realize you'd be so angry." She shrugged. "But you're the one who lost your head out there, not me."_

 _"Excuse me?" He asked with a surprised angry laugh._

" _Like I said, the script called for you to push me away and you didn't." She pointed out._

" _Why did you kiss me like that?" He asked in a softer voice._

" _I was just in the moment, that's how I kiss." She defended._

" _You did not kiss Brian like that." Punk snorted._

" _I have to go." She said trying to pass him._

" _I have to go explain to Vince what the hell went on out there." He said to her._

 _"I'll do it." She offered. "It was my mistake."_

" _No I'll do it." He said to her. "Just try to stay in character in April, you know better." he warned her. "You can't just become your character on and off screen that leads to a scary place. Pretty soon you won't know who you are."_

 _"I was in character." She argued._

" _You're toeing that line Ape." he warned her. "I see it every time you go out there."_

 _"You're nuts." She laughed._

" _No I'm pretty sure that's you." Punk said to her. "I'm going to go talk to Vince and clean this up for us."_

 _"I had no idea that a kiss from me would make you so angry." She noted as he began to walk past her and he stopped and turned back to look at her._

" _I have no problem with you, April, kissing me." He assured her with half a smile. "But I wasn't sure who that was out there. I don't want to see you lose yourself in your character that's all."_

 _"I'm sorry." She said to him but he didn't say anything and just turned and walked off._

* * *

 _AJ was in her motel room thinking over the things Punk said to her. Was he right? Was she becoming her character? Did she even know who she was anymore? Someone knocking at her door pulled her from her thoughts and she swung the door open without checking._

" _Phil." She greeted surprised. Her pajama pants, tank-top and glasses on he smiled._

" _Now that's April." He smiled walking inside without an invitation. "With all the money you must be making you couldn't have sprung for a nice place to spend the night?"_

" _I don't make the money you do. But I'm glad you're here." She said closing the door. "I'm real sorry that I kissed you like that tonight."_

 _"I actually came to apologize myself." He admitted. "I bit your head off for no reason."_

" _You were right with everything you said." She insisted._

" _I didn't hate the kiss Ape." He said sitting on the edge of her bed. "I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it so much that I thought I was going to get hard in front of thousands people, that's embarrassing." he teased._

" _I'm sure Amy wasn't pleased with it." she noted sitting next to him now._

" _No she was not." He laughed. "I told her I'd have a talk with you. She knows we slept together a year ago and she thinks I'm giving you mixed signals."_

 _"You're not." She said to him._

" _Oh, I know I'm not." He said seriously. "You're the one tonguing me on TV. You're the one with the mixed signals."_

" _I've just-" she began but she wasn't sure where to really start._

" _Lonely?" he finished for her. "Trent and you are really over for good and you're not working with the girls which makes traveling difficult and although you don't mention them, your family isn't around- ever."_

" _Something like that." She said to him. "I feel like an idiot."_

 _"Don't." He said placing his arm around her shoulders and she rested her against his chest. "I get it."_

" _I made a fool out of myself on national TV." She almost cried._

" _Actually, me pushing you away would have made you look like a fool." He pointed out. "I look bad because not only did I not push you off I deepened the kiss."_

" _I didn't want to make you angry I just got caught up in the moment." She said to him._

 _"So did I." He sighed. "I only got angry because kissing you isn't easy." He teased. "You know I like you a lot and that night we had was something I still think about often."_

 _"Really?" She asked intrigued._

" _It was a great night." He said seriously and her face lit up. "You bought back a lot of those memories, but I suppose that's why you did it."_

 _"Not really." She said to him. "I just wanted it to be real. I was in character earlier and I'm not right now. AJ Lee wants CM Punk more than Daniel Bryan. That's what that was about. It was a creative decision. Tell Amy I'm sorry."_

 _"I have to get going." Punk said standing up._

" _Amy is probably waiting." AJ agreed standing up and walking him to the door._

" _She's not in town or she would have kicked my ass tonight." He smirked._

 _"I'm sorry if I got you in trouble." She frowned._

 _"No you're not." He grinned and shot her a wink. "You surprise me everyday short stack."_

" _I'm trying to loosen up." She shrugged._

" _I like the old April." he shrugged and her face sunk. "The new one is ok, maybe you can mix it up a bit. You should get some sleep."_

 _"I hate sleeping alone." She shuddered and then realized how that must have sounded. "I'm not throwing myself at you. I just meant nobody is rooming with me." she covered quickly._

" _Why are you rooming alone?" He asked concerned._

" _Celeste's boyfriend is in town. It's best I'm down the hall." She smirked._

" _You picked to room in a cheap motel and then got a room by yourself?" he cringed. "Want a ride to the airport or something?"_

 _"No I hate traveling this late." She told him and he nodded._

 _"I'm driving back to Chicago." he informed her. "I'm in no rush, I'll hang out without."_

" _You don't have to do that." She said shaking her head._

" _No it's alright." He said removing his jacket. "You hanging out here by yourself kind of makes me nervous."_

 _"I'm a big girl Phillip." She reminded him. "A grown woman in fact."_

 _"Believe me Ape, I know that." he sighed eyeing her. "What's good on TV?" he asked plopping on the bed and turning the TV on._

 _They ended up watching an old black and white film that was on the basic cable and static-y. They were both sitting up in the bed and every ten minutes there was a slight movement. Punk would move his arm so his hand was brushing hers slightly, AJ's legs were laid over his and half way through the movie they were kissing._

" _This is a bad idea." AJ warned pulling away._

" _The worst." He agreed and pulled her back into the kiss._

" _Phil." She sighed pulling away again._

" _You want me to stop? Should we stop?" He asked her. "Or should we get this out of our system once and for all?"_

 _Sure he had a girlfriend waiting for him in Atlanta but April was here with him right now and he couldn't turn off his arousal, he wanted her, he had to have her and she wanted him just as much._

" _Out of our system." She agreed as he rolled on top of her._

 _She wasn't thinking either. All she knew was how complete she felt with him kissing her and running his hands over her body. He gave her a joy that she hadn't felt since the first time they were together. His hand dipped into her sweat pants and she gasped into their kiss as he found her sweet spot with his digits._

" _Is this going to work?" She asked cupping his face and looking him directly in the eyes then he penetrated her with two fingers._

" _You tell me crazy chick." He responded roughly. "Is it working?"_

 _"Not that..."She trailed off gasping as her hips matched the pace of his fingers. "Getting it out of our systems?"_

 _"God I hope so." He almost cried as his mouth dropped to kiss her neck..._

* * *

 _Punk was gone before she woke the next morning and they didn't speak before the pay-per-view where she was supposed to guest referee. He had been avoiding her and it hurt. They promised after their first time they'd always remain friends. A half an hour before AJ was set to work with Punk and Brian she was informed by Michael Hayes that she'd be taken out early and out for most of the match, the ending had changed as well. AJ was supposed to help Punk get the win and there was talk of a possible story between the two as heels. It was all over. Hayes had told her Punk didn't like the ending or the future story and it was over. AJ was furious..._

" _Open the door!" AJ yelled banging on Punk's door. Once the door opened it was Amy who answered and not Punk._

" _You have a lot of fucking nerve showing up at his locker room." Amy hissed._

 _"I need to talk to Phil." AJ told her._

" _No you don't." Amy said in shock. "How dare you." She hissed. "I know what went on last Tuesday between the two of you and you're lucky I don't kick the crap out of you."_

 _"Amy-" She began._

" _Don't." Amy warned her. "It's over AJ. Move on. Phil is with me."_

 _"I don't know what he told you-" She began to defend._

" _I know you shoved your eager tongue down his throat on TV I also know you slept with him after." Amy whispered. "We're working things out. We're serious. You are a distraction that we don't need. A constant problem that we're trying to rid ourselves of."_

 _"Phil-" She began again._

" _He's not Phil to you." Amy warned her. "You can address him as Punk just like every other insignificant person does back here."_

" _He's messing with my job here." AJ argued._

 _"And you're messing with our lives!" Amy yelled._

 _AJ felt eyes behind her and there was Punk and Paul Heyman trying to get into the locker room._

" _Phil-" she started._

 _"I think Amy said it all." Punk said to her and stepped into the locker room._

" _Just leave us alone." Amy pleaded before slamming the door in her face._

" _You ok?" Paul asked sympathetically._

" _He didn't even defend me." AJ whispered in shock. "He's never-" She stopped herself. "Never mind."_

" _Him and Amy are the endgame, they're perfect for each other and she makes him happy." Paul told her kindly. "Don't take it personally."_

 _"But my story line." She insisted trying to mask her personal hurt feelings for work._

" _I'm sure Vince has something real special for you, you're a great girl." Paul remarked tapping her on the head then walking into the locker room._

" _That was fucking cold." A male voice said to AJ and she eyed him. "I could have told you it was going to end like that."_

" _Please don't repeat anything you heard." AJ pleaded._

 _"I do like to talk." The man grinned stepping over to her. "Maybe you can take me out to dinner and convince me not to."_

 _"What?" She asked with a laugh._

" _I'm not going to pay." He smirked and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry shorty, you've still got me."_

* * *

 **A/N: Come on, you all had to feel that their story ended abruptly and that match between Punk and Daniel was intense ;)**

 **He shall be relieved in the next chapter.**

 **Also you can't see it because I'm behind the screen but I have the biggest smile on my face, thank you for all your reviews!**


	6. Shattered Glass

**Shattered Glass**

* * *

"Why did you tell Amy about that night?" AJ asked him.

"She kinda figured it out." Punk said to her as he looked out the window of their bedroom. "I mean, she's not an idiot. She knew I went over to talk to you then I didn't answer my phone all night it was kind of easy to piece it together."

"You didn't even say goodbye that morning, you changed the direction of my character you-" She began.

"I know I fucked up." He groaned turning to look at her as she sat on the bed. "I didn't know what the fuck to do Ape. She was my girlfriend and I couldn't lie to her. There was no way to get out of it. When I got home later that day I didn't even shower before I left she could smell your perfume on me. I had scratches down my back."

"What about a heads up instead of completely blindsiding me?" she asked feeling that anger begin to resurface.

"I told her I wouldn't talk to you again and I planned on keeping my word." Punk told her simply. "I didn't owe you a thing but I owed my girlfriend." He told her honestly.

"That's what pushed me to him." She pointed out.

"Me?" Punk asked pointing to himself and she nodded. "He was fucking waiting to swoop in on you." He mocked. "He had wanted you since day one and he was laying in wait. It's not my fault you were so blind that you didn't see the warning signs."

"It was your fault!" She yelled at him startling him slightly. "You blinded me! I went to work everyday thinking of how I could I get to you, how I could make you feel as bad as you made me feel."

"That was childish." He retorted.

"As childish as hiding behind your girlfriend than facing me." She shot right back at him.

"I didn't handle the situation the best I admit that but don't act like you were innocent and need I remind you that this went on long past me working there? Up until your last night of working there? You were still letting him manipulate you." Punk reminded her.

"You're right." She whispered ashamed. "I was completely blinded after I went back to work but before that when we weren't together? I was completely aware of what I was doing."

* * *

" _Hey shorty." He greeted strolling over to AJ who was in the makeup chair._

" _Hi John." AJ smiled looking over to John Cena._

" _I like the new getup." He smirked noting her new General Manager attire._

" _Thanks." she said shooting him a bright smile. "What can I do for you?"_

 _"I just wanted to congratulate on the new title." He said to her. "It's a pretty big role."_

" _Worried I'm going to screw it up?" AJ questioned._

" _Not at all." He said standing close to her chair. "I heard some things-"_

 _"What thinks?" AJ asked eyeing him._

" _I hear everything." John said to her. "I'm also good friends with Amy."_

" _Wonderful." She sighed._

" _I'm not judging you, I'm going through a divorce right now." John assured her. "Trust me I'd be the last person to judge I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing."_

 _"I'm fine." She said to him. "I've actually never been happier."_

" _Yea?" He asked amused._

" _How's Nikki?" She asked wanting to get off the topic. She knew John and the former Diva were dating publicly now._

" _She's good." John said to her. "Don't change the subject."_

 _"What do you want me to say?" AJ asked him._

" _I didn't just hear things from Amy." John whispered. "What are you doing hanging around him?"_

 _"Phil and I-" She stopped and corrected herself. "I mean Punk-"_

 _"Not Punk." John laughed. "I know Punk pretty well and I think I know you pretty well to know why you two clicked so well. Two loners, same moral code, hard workers- I get you two. I don't get him."_

 _"Nick?" AJ asked confused._

" _You call him Nick?" John teased. "You know him and Punk don't really get along right?"_

 _"That's not my problem." AJ replied stiffly. "And they're friends."_

 _"They're not." John laughed. "I also know a little more about him than you think. Nicole was with him for a long time."_

 _"They get along fine." AJ shrugged._

" _You have to understand something." John began. "Vince adores you. You're up there with the guys. Me, Punk, Orton- you're one of us. You're untouchable and he thinks anything you touch turns to gold. A lot of guys who feel they've been slighted will do anything to get attention and their intentions may not be genuine."_

 _"What are you talking about?" AJ asked trying not to laugh. "I can't do him any favors he knows that."_

 _"Attaching himself to you not only get's Vince's attention it also gets creatives attention and Punk's." John told her knowingly._

" _Vince and creative don't care about me that much and Punk certainly doesn't give me a second thought." She told him. "He hasn't spoken to me in two weeks. Not even eye contact."_

 _"Sounds like a man who is hurting." John frowned and AJ rolled her eyes and stood up from the chair._

" _I'm the one who was hurting." AJ said to him._

" _I have no reason to lie to you April." John sighed holding onto her arm gently so she couldn't walk away. "He's using you and you're going to get hurt."_

 _"Have you ever considered that I'm the one using him?" AJ asked with a smirk._

" _You're not like that and you're still the one who is going to end up hurt and not just emotionally but your career. I've seen it happen to countless girls back here." John warned her._

" _I appreciate you looking out for me." She said reaching up and kissing his cheek, that action didn't go unnoticed by Punk who was across the way looking for tape for his hands. They didn't notice him but he narrowed his eyes at the two._

" _Hey." John said placing his hands on her arms and rubbed them slightly as Punk's face turned red. He couldn't hear them, especially since he was whispering into her ear. The second AJ walked away John turned around and saw Punk glaring at him._

" _That looked bad." John laughed as Punk stalked over to him. "Relax." John said amused holding his hands up in defense._

" _You sniffing around her for a reason? Don't you have a girl at home?" Punk asked harshly._

" _Didn't you?" John asked casually._

" _Don't fuck with me on this one John-Boy." Punk warned him coldly. "She's lonely and vulnerable and doesn't need your bullshit."_

" _I know that." John informed him. "That's why I was trying to help her out."_

 _"With what? Keeping her warm at night? Fuck off." Punk snapped._

" _Amy wouldn't like this defensive tone." John teased. "I won't tell though."_

" _Just back off of her." Punk said to him. "She's a good, sweet girl-"_

 _"I'm not the one you should be worried about." John told him and Punk narrowed his eyes at the golden boy. "I was trying to steer her away from trouble but she's like the Titanic heading straight for the iceberg."_

 _"What are you talking about?" Punk asked, instantly sounding concerned._

" _It's not my place to tell you and it's probably best for you to stay out of it." John said to him. "I'm staying out of it myself I was just giving her a little advice. Her mentor kind of left her high and dry. Not only did you do that but you painted a big target on her back. You're not the most liked guy and you are the most hunted back here. You don't think people are talking? That they don't already know what's been going on? That someone wouldn't swoop right in and use her to get to you?"_

 _"Who?" Punk demanded._

 _"Like I said it doesn't matter to you. For Amy's sake I suggest you leave it alone." John said to him. "Leave it alone."_

" _If you heard someone is using her to get to me than I have every right to know." Punk told him slowly. "Who?" he asked again._

" _I won't throw gasoline on this fire." John said and Punk rolled his eyes. "Just pay attention. You'll figure it out."_

* * *

 _After the show there was a small celebration celebrating Mark Henry's WWE anniversary. Punk didn't want to go but Amy dragged him anyway. He as the champion and it was only right he showed some kind of face. It was the usual people who showed, the party animals of the roster but it was when one 'usual' walked in hand in hand with April that he realized what John was warning him about._

" _I didn't think she'd show." Amy remarked sitting at the small table in the VIP section._

 _AJ walked in with Dolph 'Nick" Ziggler and Punk's skin crawled. And she wasn't dressed like April, she was dressed like AJ Lee. Something else Punk warned her about, becoming to true to your character. A skin tight black dress that left nothing to the imagination, no glasses, not converse, packed on makeup, hair perfectly done. That wasn't his April, that was Dolph's AJ._

" _What the fuck is she doing." Punk hissed._

" _Mind your own business." Amy warned him._

" _He's fucking-" he began._

" _He's fucking her." Amy finished for him. "Why do you care?"_

" _He's using her." Punk said to her._

" _She's an idiot. Let her learn." Amy said simply._

" _She's not an idiot." Punk snapped at his girlfriend. "She's confused. She's having trouble separating herself from her character and he's using her to-"_

 _"To what Phil? Get to you?" Amy questioned. "Why does it get to you?"_

 _"She's my friend Ames." Punk said simply. "I can't just forget that I ever knew her."_

" _She's not your friend and it's so obvious she's acting this way to get your attention." Amy said to him. "And you're letting her get to you."_

" _I just need to talk to her." Punk said standing up._

" _If you get up from this seat and talk to her then don't expect to find me here waiting for you to get back." Amy threatened._

" _Just relax yourself." Punk snorted. "I'm not going to run off with her, I'm just going to talk to her in plain sight."_

" _Phil-" Amy warned._

" _Stop with the dramatics. You're above this childish shit." Punk spat then made his way through the crowd and over to the bar where Nick and AJ were._

 _Punk approached from behind and saw how Nick was rubbing her lower back and subtly grabbing at her ass. He resisted the urge to vomit as he walked closer._

" _This is really good though." Nick said holding his glass of liquor out for her._

" _I don't drink Nick." She reminded him._

" _Just a sip. I promise you'll love it." He said pressing the glass to her lips._

" _Nick I-" She began as he tried to pour the liquid into his mouth._

" _Opps." Punk grinned as he slapped the glass out of Nick's hand and it crashed against the bar. "I'm sorry about the glass." he said passing the bartender a bill. "What's up?" he asked looking between the two._

" _That was rude Phil." AJ said glaring at Punk._

" _I'm a rude guy." Punk retorted shamelessly. "Nick." Punk greeted with a grin._

" _Phil." Nick replied._

" _Oh, no." Punk laughed. "You can call me Punk or Champ."_

" _She gets to call you Phil but I can't?" Nick laughed._

" _That's right." Punk said to him. "I need a minute with April."_

" _We're busy." Nick said to him. "So why don't you go back to your girlfriend who is currently glaring at you." he said nodding over to where Punk left Amy but he didn't even flinch let alone turn around._

" _What are you doing with him?" Punk asked looking at AJ._

" _He invited me to the party." AJ said to him._

" _That's not what I meant." Punk said to her._

 _"Why don't you mind your own business." Nick said to him._

 _"Why don't you fuck off?" Punk spat jerking his head towards Nick now._

" _Leave him alone." AJ said standing up from the bar stool she was occupying. "It's getting a little crowded." she said walking overt to Nick._

 _"I think you're right babe." Nick said slinging his arm over her shoulders._

" _He's bullying you into drinks what's next?" Punk asked her. "You know he's sleeping with you to piss me off right?"_

 _"Not everyone is you Punk." Nick remarked annoyed. "There isn't a secret reason behind every relationship. We don't owe you an explanation for what we're doing."_

 _"This guy? Really?" He asked looking AJ directly in the eyes. "All the losers you've been with in the past you can't see through his shit?"_

" _Wow." Nick laughed amused._

" _The world doesn't revolve around you Phil." AJ reminded him._

" _If that were true you wouldn't be with him to get my attention." Punk remarked with a smug wink._

" _Haven't you fucked with her enough?" Nick asked. "You're the one who used her. You screwed her, you left her holding the bag so you wouldn't get dumped then you messed up her story. I'm not ashamed to work with April."_

" _I wasn't ashamed of working with her and you wouldn't know anything about working with her. This isn't NXT, dick." Punk reminded him. "She's in a league far above yours."_

 _"We're going to be working together shortly actually." Nick informed him. "Me, John and April."_

" _That your idea?" Punk asked him._

" _It was mine." AJ told him and Punk nearly fell over._

" _You don't see that he's using you for a bigger spot?" Punk asked stunned. "Take off the rose colored sunglasses April."_

 _"First I was using her to piss you off and now I'm using her for a better story." Nick said shaking his head. "You really are just a selfish son of a bitch. You can't have your cake and eat it too."_

" _And you can't have her at all." Punk said possessively._

" _I already do." Nick said to him and AJ was instantly uncomfortable._

" _I really want to go." She said looking up at Nick._

 _"I'll take you back to your hotel." Punk offered._

 _"Your girlfriend won't like that much." Nick said to him. "Meet me at the car babe." he said passing AJ his keys and she took them and almost ran out of the club._

" _You're really fucking pushing me." Punk warned him._

" _Go back to Amy and I'll go back to April." Nick said to him._

 _"She's-" Punk began._

" _I know what April needs. We all need it especially on the road." Nick grinned leaning into Punk a bit._

" _Don't hurt her." Punk warned him._

" _Only if she asks me to." Nick responded and Punk could feel the vein in his throat pop out. "She likes it like that sometimes."_

 _Punk grabbed Nick by his shirt but John Cena appeared and quickly stepped in-between the two._

" _Not the time or place." John warned the two of them._

" _I don't have a problem here." Nick defended backing away. "My girl is waiting for me, she gets impatient- you know what that's like don't you?"_

" _Son of a bitch." Punk growled._

" _He's doing this to get under your skin and you're letting him." John warned him._

 _"The shit he said." Punk hissed through clenched teeth._

" _He said it to piss you off." John repeated. "You're the target here. I told you this when you became chanp. You're a walking talking target for everybody and nobody is off limits."_

 _"I know how the locker room works John." Punk said shaking his head. "She's too sweet and innocent she-"_

 _"She knows exactly what she's doing." John informed him cutting him off. "AJ isn't some weak woman who needs rescuing she is hurting and she's hurting bad, hurting you and herself more just makes it bearable for her."_

" _I hate him." Punk said to him. "You better have a talk with him before I get my hands on him."_

" _I'll talk to him." John assured him. "I'll make sure he's treating her right, you need to worry about your own girlfriend right now."_

 _Punk looked over and there was a pissed off Amy._

" _Fuck." He groaned looking up at the ceiling._

* * *

"When you got in his face at the club it reminded me of the first time I saw you." AJ said to him. "I had that guy that I always wanted fighting for me, just like Maria had."

"I wanted to beat the shit out of him that night and I would have if John didn't show up." Punk said to her. "I went back on my bus that night and I slept on a bunk and I just kept envisioning hitting him in the face."

"It really wasn't my proudest moment." She said getting off the bed and walking over to him as he kept looking out the window as the rain poured. "I wanted to hurt you but I regretted it."

"I know." he said as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Do you know what that felt like? To see you with him and you weren't yourself?"

"I saw you everyday with Amy." She defended.

"Amy wasn't out to hurt me." Punk reminded her turning around in her arms. "He was out to hurt you and you were willing to let him. That scared me the most. I didn't know if you were drinking with him or-"

"You were right." She said to him and he frowned. "I was becoming my character. I couldn't tell the difference between AJ Lee and April Mendez. It was all so blurry."

"That really wasn't your fault." He noted sadly. "You weren't right."

"He didn't know that either." She reminded him and he dropped his head so his forehead was resting on hers.

"I did." He whispered. "I saw your changes I saw them for weeks before, the last night we were together when I went to see you it was because I saw it and I didn't piece it all together."

"I didn't realize I was bipolar Phil and you couldn't have either." She assured him.

"It was right in front of my face." He argued. "The character change, mood swings..."

"Excessive desire for sex." She added.

"Yea." He agreed softly. "That night in the motel was a bad idea and I did it anyway even though I knew better."

"I wanted it. So I got it. I didn't care back then." She reminded him. "I didn't know anything about bipolar I didn't have family that had it I didn't think it was possible, I didn't want to make excuses."

"Then I pushed you so far away you broke right in front of him and I let Nick take advantage of that." Punk said to her.

"I would have broke regardless." She told him. "I had to break."

"I hated watching you fall apart." he whispered and she felt a wet spot fall down her cheek but it wasn't a tear from her eyes, it was from his as he was still resting his forehead gently against hers. "I hated watching you break and I hate that I didn't pick up the pieces."

"You did." she reminded him. "You helped me, you got me help-"

"Not before it got worse for you." he reminded her. "Could you ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you? For saving me? Never." She said to him and gently grabbed his face and kissed him.

The kiss intensified as he carefully walked her backwards to the bed and they both fell onto it without parting lips as they rapidly removed each others clothing...

* * *

 **A/N: Thought it was John? It's Dolph. Keep in mind this story is 100% fiction I really don't have all the dates or facts. Just a theory.**

 **And poor AJ is only at the start of her downward spiral, you have to hit rock bottom...**


	7. Stand In The Rain

**Stand In The Rain**

* * *

Later in the day AJ was back in her office only this time she was sitting on her terrace in the rain. Punk wandered into her office and he was instantly terrified seeing her sitting in one of his sweatshirts in the rain on her terrace.

"Ape." He hurried as he opened the door but she didn't respond and his heart dropped. Punk placed his hand on her shoulder and she screamed out pulling her headphones out of her ear. "What are you doing?" He asked pulling her out of the chair and inside.

"I was listening to music." She said in a cheery voice. "I'm fine Phil." She assured him putting her I-Pod on her desk. "You know I like the rain."

"I know it's just all of this talk about the past and then finding you sitting out there..." he trailed off remembering.

"I didn't even think of that." She tried not to laugh. "I'm sorry."

"It's not funny April." he practically scolded.

* * *

 _The loud booms of thunder woke him up and he reached over to AJ and felt nothing but cold sheets. He stuck his head up knowing she couldn't have left without him. He squinted his eyes as lightning lit up the sky and spotted something on his terrace that overlooked the City._

" _Ape?" he whispered to himself and hurried out of the bed. He slipped on his discarded sweat pants as quickly as possible and opened the french doors._

 _Sure enough there was his April. Standing in the pouring rain at two in the morning in nothing more than her bra and panties. Nobody could see her, it was too dark and the rain was too heavy but it wasn't like her._

" _April." He said sticking his head out of the door but she didn't respond. He stepped outside barefoot and shirtless in the rain. "April!" He yelled grabbing her by the shoulder and she turned to look at him. "What the hell are you doing?"_

" _I have it all." She said to him with a smile._

" _What?" he asked trying to hear her over the heavy rain. "Come inside." He ordered grabbing her by the wrist but she jerked it away._

" _Do you know what it's like to have everything and still feel nothing?" She asked leaning over the railing._

" _April." He whispered fearfully. "What-"_

 _"I have my title. That's all I wanted my whole life. I'm so excited." She stated blandly._

" _Why don't you come inside and show it to me?" He suggested hopefully stepping up behind her._

" _I have you." She said looking back at him with a smile._

" _You do." he said to her relieved. "I'm right here baby." he assured her forcing a smile. "Come inside before you get sick."_

 _"I just like the rain." She said simply looking down at the few moving cars from the six floors up. "I like how the world keeps moving."_

" _Don't." Punk said to her as he felt his chest tighten._

" _I'm not going to jump." She laughed. "I just want to be in the rain."_

" _Can you be in the rain further away from the railing?" He asked her._

" _Do you remember what you said to me in Mexico?" She asked not looking back at him as both her hands wrapped around the railing._

" _I said a lot, I always do." He replied lightly._

" _You said you were too good for me." She reminded him. "That Trent was too good for me."_

" _I remember." He said still standing behind her cautiously. "I still stand by it."_

 _"Something is wrong with me." She whispered._

" _There's nothing wrong with you." He told her sternly. And even though she was standing in the rain half naked playing on a ledge he still believed that._

" _I don't feel anything." She laughed looking down at the street. "This should be the best day of my life! I wanted the title but I wanted you more. I worked nonstop for years to get here. I have been beaten down mentally and physically my whole life and I finally prevailed."_

" _You have." Punk agreed. "Come inside and let's celebrate it."_

" _I don't deserve to celebrate." She cried suddenly and now Punk was confused. He had seen her mood shift but this was drastic even for her. "He tainted me."_

" _Who?" Punk asked growing more and more confused._

" _That's what he told me." she cried. "He was right-"_

 _"April please." He begged moving next to her and trying to get her to look at him._

" _I don't deserve this and I don't deserve you." She cried looking at him. "Just turn around and leave me."_

 _"I'm not leaving you." He said to her. "I'm never leaving you again. I told you this."_

 _"I don't deserve you." She cried hysterically. "I don't deserve this."_

 _"Ape what is happening?" He asked holding back his own tears._

 _"He told me-" She began._

 _"Who the fuck is he?" He asked her._

" _Nick." She said sadly._

" _He's an idiot." Punk said brushing it off, he'd deal with him later. April was his priority. "I can't talk about this out here because it's getting chilly and it's raining really hard."_

 _"Go inside and leave me in the rain." She told him._

" _I'll never leave you in the rain again." He said to her._

" _Just go." She spat and looked back down at the street._

 _Before she could say or do anything else she felt Punk's arms grip around her waist. He wasn't gentle, he was tight and he lifted her feet off of the ground._

" _Let me go!" She screamed as she kicked her feet. "I wasn't going to do anything! I just like the rain!" she cried using her hands to grab the door to stop him from taking her inside. He pried her fingers off of the door frame with ease, she was no match for his strength._

" _Calm down April." He hissed into her ear as he carried her all the way across the lavish suite they were in and into the bathroom._

" _Stop!" She sobbed._

 _He kicked the bathroom door closed behind him and carried her into the standing shower, thankfully the glass door was left opened. He still had one tight grip around her as he turned the water on hot and let it spray their bodies.  
"Stop, please." She cried as she lost her strength. _

_Punk could feel she stopped resisting physically and loosened his grip. She was still in her bra and panties and he was still in his sweats but they were both cold from being out the rain, she was ice cold, he had no idea how long she was out there for. She turned around in his arms and cried into his chest and he was now holding her for a different reason, comfort._

" _It's ok." he whispered to her as he ran one hand up and down her back soothingly. "I'm going to help you." he promised._

" _You should leave." She said looking up at him. "I don't know what's wrong."_

" _Leave? I told you I'm never leaving again." He reminded her._

" _I'm crazy." She said looking up at him. "You were right-"_

 _"Stop." he warned her._

 _"Do you realize what WWE will do to me?" She asked him. "They'll think I have concussion problem-"_

 _"We're not telling them anything just relax." He said to her. "I'm going to get you some help, you're going to go to Chicago with me and I'm going to set you up with a doctor. Nobody has to know."_

" _Know that I'm crazy?" She asked._

" _You're not crazy you had a breakdown." He reasoned to more himself. "It happens when you're under pressure it's normal."_

" _I feel anything but." She sighed feeling herself begin to calm down._

" _I'm going to take care of you." he promised._

* * *

"How did you not run for the hills?" She asked removing his soaked sweatshirt and handing it to him.

"Thanks." He mocked taking it from her. "I can't run from you, I think I've made that painfully obvious."

"What if our kids get it? They say it's genetic." She pointed out. "I didn't realize someone on my mom's side had it."

"It's not a death sentence Ape." He shrugged. "A lot of people deal with it and it's manageable. And what happened that night was a mix of a lot of things. It was a hint of your bipolar but mostly a breakdown forced on you by that jealous son of a bitch." He spat.

"We can't blame him for everything." She reminded him as she walked over to her shelf and adjusted some of her figures.

"I blame him for a lot and rightfully so." Punk said to her.

"I'm sick of talking about." She sighed. "I know we agreed to talk about it-"

"I agree." He said to her. "Let's talk about our first glorious date."

"Yea?" she smirked.

"Yea I think it was good time. You were properly diagnosed and we had a great time." Punk pointed out. "I figured you'd agree."

"I do agree." She smiled at the memory. "I believe in my book I told my fans to find a man who will treat you as good as my man did on our first date."

* * *

" _This place..." AJ trailed off as her hand was intertwined with Punk's. She was in a flowy black and white dress and flats and Punk was in a nice shirt and dress pants._

" _Nice, isn't it?" he smirked as they walked over to their table that had a 'reserved' sign on it._

 _They were at the Langham hotel in Chicago. AJ assumed they'd spend the weekend at his place, the first time she'd ever get to do that and they'd stay in and watch movies and eat takeout. But instead he told her to dress up. The host pulled out AJ's chair for her and Punk waited for her to sit before he took his own seat._

" _I don't think I've ever eaten anywhere this fancy." She whispered nervously._

" _I like splurge." He shrugged as she accepted the menu from the host and he walked off._

" _No you don't." She laughed._

 _"True. But I like you." He noted._

" _You like me?" She teased._

" _Loving you goes without saying." He winked._

" _I wasn't expecting a dinner." She admitted. "You don't have to do this."_

 _"You're with me now April." He reminded her. "You're going to get spoiled from time to time and surprised. I love to surprise people, you most of all because I like watching your face light up. How are you feeling?"_

 _"You don't have to ask me that constantly." She told him. "I'm fine. I'm not like insane."_

 _"I know but it only happened two weeks ago." he reminded her._

" _You took care of it." She smiled. "My father is so grateful."_

 _"I like getting along with dads." Punk remarked._

" _He's going to be flying in to see me next weekend." She told him and his he almost choked on the water he sipped. "You want to meet him?"_

 _"I wouldn't want to intrude." Punk laughed nervously quickly sipping his water again._

" _You wouldn't be. He wants to meet you." AJ insisted. "It would mean a lot to me." She added and batted her eyelashes._

" _Babe-" he began then he gave in, as he always did with her. "I'd love to meet your father."_

 _"Goodie." She grinned triumphantly and her eyes looked over the menu._

 _They ordered their food and while they waited they chatted about work and laughed._

" _So, since I agreed to meet your father I'd like you to do something for me." He said to her. "My buddy CJ is getting married in December and I want you to be my guest."_

 _"December? That's like three months off." She pointed out._

" _You don't see yourself with me in three months?" He asked amused with a laugh._

" _Of course I do but how do you know you'll even want me to meet your friends by that point?" She asked. "I am a nut job."_

 _"You're not a nut job." He groaned. "And besides you'll meet them on my birthday."_

 _"Birthday?" She asked._

" _Yea it's once a year." He said to her. "My sisters are throwing me a party. It wouldn't be a party without you."_

 _"I'll be there." She promised. "Are you sure you want me there?"_

 _"Am I sure that I want all of my family and friends to meet my incredibly hot and smart girlfriend? Yea I am." He remarked._

 _"They were all really close to Amy." AJ reminded him._

 _"We didn't end on bad terms Ape." Punk pointed out. "I mean it could have ended on better terms, sleeping with you while I was still with her towards the end didn't do me any favors but it ended better than it should have."_

 _"Will she be there?" AJ asked horrified._

" _Fuck no." He snorted. "We didn't end on that good of terms."_

 _"She hates me." AJ told him._

 _"So?" Punk asked. "Tons of people hate me and I don't let it get to me."_

" _Comforting." She remarked. "It's just, I really wasn't myself towards the end of this big mess and she did get hurt-"_

 _"She understands Ape." Punk told her softly. "Trust me, she gets it. I don't think she's going to send you a friendship bracelet or anything but she knows you weren't you, she knew you weren't you for a while. Don't worry about her."_

" _Alright." She sighed. "Oh and I saw the schedule tour for Mexico, I'm kind of bummed that you won't be with me."_

 _"I'll be there." He said taking a bite out of piece of bread._

 _"Yea?" She asked and he nodded._

" _I didn't want to be I was offered more money to do a comic-con but Vince needs me there apparently." He said to her._

" _I have a roommate." She grinned._

" _Who said I'm bunking with you?" he asked seriously._

" _We bunked in Mexico before we were even dating." She smiled at him._

 _"Ah, that's right." He said remembering. "Bring that little white bikini again."_

 _"Will you get that room again?" She asked hopefully._

" _I'll get you any room you want." He said to her._

" _I was thinking I'd sleep in my own room though." She said to him and he eyed her. "I mean obviously we can hang out-"_

 _"Hang out? What are we? In high school?" He asked her._

 _"I don't want everyone to know about us at work." AJ said to him. "It's just unnecessary pressure with me having the title-"_

 _"I agree." he said quickly. He truthfully didn't agree but he didn't want her stressed out for any reason._

" _I'm still dealing with Nick fallout." She told him and he rolled his eyes._

" _He's barely even there anymore." Punk scoffed. "And when he is he's on Superstars."_

 _"How did he go from Heavyweight champion to jobbing in dark matches?" She asked Punk who shrugged innocently._

" _He's a dick." Punk reasoned._

" _What did you do?" She asked._

" _Nothing." He lied and avoided her eyes._

" _Phil..." She warned._

" _Hey, do you like baseball?" He asked her._

" _No." She responded and he laughed._

" _Not even a little?" he asked._

" _Not in the slightest." She said to him. "Why?"_

 _"I have tickets to a game tomorrow." He told her and her eyes lit up._

 _"I can't wait." She said sipping her water._

" _You just said you don't like baseball." He pointed out._

" _I don't. But I like you." she smiled using his own words from earlier. "I love you too."_

" _I had no doubt." He said looking her straight in her eyes. He knew he could look into the eyes for the rest of his life. "Hungry?" He asked her and she nodded._

" _I should have ordered my dessert first." She frowned watching a dessert cart pass. "Cake for dinner is heaven."_

 _"I have dessert set up already." He told her._

" _Yea?" She asked and he nodded. "Are we getting one of those dessert carts?"_

 _"In our private room we are." He informed her._

" _You got a room here?" She asked and he nodded._

 _"It's beautiful like you." He told her and she blushed causing him to smile._

" _You didn't have to." She insisted._

" _Oh, but I wanted our first date to memorable." he told her._

" _We could have ate a hot dog cart and I never would have forgotten it." She told him._

" _Good to know you're a cheap date." He said seriously causing her to giggle. "You won't get anything but the best from here on out."_


	8. Sexual Healing

**Sexual Healing**

* * *

"I love this movie." AJ grinned curling against Punk on the couch as the rain hit their windows and the thunder terrified Larry. They had already begun to watch their favorite horror movies.

"How could you? You've spent most of it hiding your face in my chest?" He teased, keeping his eyes on the TV.

"Maybe I just like being on top of you." She replied smoothly and he chuckled.

"You don't need an excuse to touch me honey." He assured her.

"We've been all over each other all week, I just figured you're getting sick of me." She shrugged and his eyes dropped to look at her.

"You know that's nonsense." He snorted. "I needed it more than ever this past week."

"Have you considered that we have too much sex?" She asked and he began to cough causing her to laugh.

"You think we have too much sex?" He asked lifting her up so she was sitting and he moved to sit up as well.

"No. I like the amount of sex we have obviously." She said to him. "And since your back surgery..."

"I have been pretty unstoppable." He had to admit smugly then frowned. "Was it bad before that?"

"Of course not." She laughed. "It's just whenever your sad we have sex, when I'm sad we have sex, when we're mad we have sex-"

"I don't see the problem." He said seriously.

"Do you think it's unhealthy?" She questioned.

"We talk about our problems constantly. If we didn't talk and just had sex then yes that would be unhealthy." He pointed out.

"That is true." AJ agreed. "It's just..."

"I know what you're thinking and I don't want to talk about it." He warned her. "It's not the same thing and you know that."

"Oh I know that." She said to him. "I know you would never use sex as a reason to silence me or keep me on edge."

"I don't use sex against you. We have a healthy relationship." He argued. "We talk about everything constantly and we enjoy sex." He scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with that at all."

"I just don't want you to think less of me." She said unsurely and he eyed her as if she was crazy. "It's just I've been so emotional these last two days-"

"I know you're ok." He said to her calmly. "I know you're not breaking down or acting out like you did. We've had a rough week- both of us- we just need this time together."

"How are you able to forget about the way I was?" She asked him. "How are you not afraid I'll go back to that?"

"I won't let you." Punk said simply. "You had a breakdown Ape it's not unheard of, people act out differently. You have a very small case of bipolar disorder it's not like every time you get upset you're going to run out looking for some stranger to sleep with. You were under a lot of pressure and a lot of that had to do with me. I didn't make things easy on you backstage after you took up with that son of a bitch."

* * *

 _SummerSlam was here and Punk was wrestling John and Big Show. His mind should have been on the match, he shouldn't have been so unfocused but April had made it her personal goal to drive him crazy. Everywhere he turned backstage there she was hanging around with Nick. To throw it right back in her face, he made sure Amy was at every event as well._

" _You're awfully early." AJ noted as Punk passed by her in catering. He noticed nobody else was around and sat across from her._

" _I'm the champ." He reminded her. "Have to set an example."_

 _"Fine example you've been setting." She noted sipping on her diet soda._

" _What's that supposed to mean?" He asked curiously._

" _Nothing." She shrugged innocently._

" _You're one to talk." Punk laughed. "What's gotten into you? You're dropping weight, you're acting like some chick who just broke out of the psych home."_

 _"That's my character." She reminded him._

" _I warned you about playing that too close to home." he remarked._

" _I don't need you to warn me about anything." She told him. "I'm taking care of myself."_

 _"Are you?" He asked amused._

" _Well, Nick is." She responded with a sly grin. "He takes excellent care of me."_

 _"Yea that's funny you bring that up." He laughed to himself and leaned over the table slightly. "I saw him hanging around Rosa earlier, whispering into her ear, grabbing at her. Are you old news already?"_

" _I'm used to men not being faithful." She shot back at him. "It's what I get and I accept that."_

 _"You know lack of confidence is a turn off." He remarked._

" _It never kept you out of my bed." She shot back._

" _Soon nobody is going to be in your bed." He laughed. "You're becoming a little loony, even for your standards. Lack of confidence and a crazy streak isn't going to turn anybody on. You can also work on your GM outfits, that's not helping the cause either."_

 _"Are you calling me ugly?" She asked offended and he smiled._

 _"You've seen better days sweetheart." He said shooting her a wink then stood up and walked over to the food._

* * *

"Did you really think I was ugly?" AJ asked him and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course I didn't." He sighed. "You've asked me this a thousand times."

"It hurt my feelings." She shrugged as she petted Larry who was laying in-between them.

"That what my plan." He said to her. "Don't act like you didn't go out of your way to try to piss me off."

"It was my favorite past time." She admitted proudly. "I was so good at it."

"You still are." He shot back and she giggled.

* * *

 _Around Hell In A Cell time Punk was starting to feel the pain in his knee more and more. John was hurt and he was going to have to take on Ryback. What was worse? AJ was moving into an angle with John and Ziggler. The two men he loathed the most in the locker room. He was heading towards his bus when he spotted Cena waiting outside of his which was parked next to him._

" _Still here?" Punk asked loading his bags into bottom of the bus._

" _Yea I'm meeting someone. See ya next Monday." John said politely._

" _Working with April I see." He said to him._

" _Yea." John forced out. "She's great."_

 _"I know that." Punk said with a sarcastic smile. "How is she doing?"_

 _"You could ask her yourself." John suggested. "I know ever time you see each other it's usual cursing under your breaths but 'hey how are you' could go a long way."_

" _We're a little past that now." Punk responded._

" _I don't get you." John blurted out. "You don't even give your own girlfriend this much thought."_

 _"You don't me John-boy." Punk snorted. "I give April- I mean Amy plenty of thought."_

" _Right." John laughed. "So and April are truly over?"_

 _"Over and done." Punk confirmed and John just nodded. Sure enough AJ came skipping up to him._

" _Sorry I'm late." AJ said to them._

" _Late for what?" Punk asked eyeing her with her suitcase in hand._

" _She's talking to me." John smirked taking her bag from her._

" _I really appreciate the ride John." AJ smiled brightly as Punk glared at the two._

" _We're both going home to Tampa." John reminded her. "What?" he asked looking at Punk._

" _Are you fucking kidding me?" Punk asked the two._

" _Not everything is sexual." AJ shot at Punk ._

" _Why don't you head onto the bus and I'll put this away for you." John said gesturing politely for her to get on the bus._

" _Punk." She remarked coldly saying goodbye then stepped onto the bus._

" _What the fuck?" Punk asked John but not out of anger, shock._

" _She was arguing with Nick so I offered her a ride back." John told him._

" _What were they arguing about?" Punk asked intrigued._

" _Not my business or yours." John informed him._

" _She's not acting herself." Punk warned him. "Don't take advantage of that."_

" _You don't think I don't see that?" John asked him amused._

" _I mean it." Punk said to him. "She hasn't been the same since-"_

 _"Since you let her take the fall for your affair and then screwed up her story line? I know." John said to him. "Maybe you need to stop running around blaming me and Nick for her behavior and look in the mirror."  
"You don't think I don't feel bad or guilty?" Punk asked him. _

" _You two are constantly fighting you're always trying to get under her skin and it's making things worse for her. The more you hurt her the more she hurts herself." John informed him. "I'll see you next week."_

 _With that said, John stepped onto the bus and Punk watched the bus pull away._

* * *

 _The following Monday AJ was skipping around backstage._

" _Have a nice trip Monday?" Punk asked surprising her. He was by the loading dock as she was passing by but she didn't see him at first._

" _I did." She said to him. "John is such a gentleman."_

 _"Is he now?" Punk questioned amused._

" _He is." AJ confirmed. "A total catch."_

 _"Not your catch though, I saw yours just before chasing some skirt." Punk shot back at her. He just couldn't resist getting to her._

" _What makes you think John wasn't a catch for me?" She asked. "I can see why you're so jealous of him now."_

 _"I'm not jealous of that ass kisser." Punk laughed._

 _"Sure you are. He gets all the TV time and main-event spots and you don't even though you're champion, he's better looking and-" she stopped short then titled her head and grinned. "Never mind."_

" _No, please continue." Punk encouraged. "Tell me how you slept with him."_

 _"So what if I did?" AJ asked with a slow and almost evil smile. "The locker room rumors are true about him. He's big. Bigger than you."_

 _"Oh fuck off." Punk hissed passing by her now._

" _Run! That's what you do best!" she yelled and he stopped but kept his back to her. "Go back to Amy, go back to your safety net you chicken shit."_

 _"What did you just call me?" He asked turning around to face her._

" _Chicken shit." She repeated without fear. "You're all talk and no action Phil. You're a child. You're insecure and that's why you're always alone."_

" _I have plenty of people around me, real people- even family. I know that's a foreign concept for you." Punk shot right back at her. "The people around me don't use me like they do you."_

 _"Really? You don't think Amy isn't latched onto you because she can't let WWE go? Because nobody would even remember her if she wasn't screwing you? Colt who drops your name everywhere to get a little bit of recognition? Paul who lives up your ass so he can stay relevant here while his real prize is off in the mountains hunting deer?" AJ asked and now he was pissed off. Mostly because he knew all of that was true._

" _And what the fuck were you?" He hissed stalking over to her. "You weren't using me? You weren't trying to get your name-"_

 _"Don't you dare." AJ warned him. "I never told anyone about us that was you! I never bragged I never asked you for a favor! I was an idiot who just liked being in your company. I was the best thing to happen to you here."_

 _"Don't you ever question the people I love again." He warned her pointing in her face. "Don't speak of them. You have no right to. You're a sad pathetic little kid who clearly got not attention at home growing up so you take your pants off for the first jackass who looks twice at you!"_

" _I have every right to. I used to be one of your 'people'." AJ reminded him trying to remain strong._

" _You're nothing to me." He almost laughed in her face. "I used to like you, now you've turned into everything I hate. You're a two faced little-" he stopped there as she shook with anger. "You're not even a blimp on my radar anymore kiddo, you don't exist in my world and you're going to die alone because you are a crazy girl who nobody could possibly stick with."_

 _AJ slapped him as hard as she could across the face and he reacted by grabbing her shoulders and lifting her slightly so they were eye to eye. He wouldn't hurt her, as much as he wanted to but he was actually terrified. Her face was cool and calm._

 _"Do it." She whispered. "Hurt me."_

 _He let her go and eyed her with sadness._

" _What are you doing?" She demanded._

" _This between us? The arguing like this? Ends now. Stay the fuck out of my way." He warned her._

" _You are a chicken!" She yelled as he walked off without looking back._

* * *

"After that I went right into Vince's office and asked to be put on the same tour that you and Ziggler were going to be working." Punk told her. "You were out of it and I thought you were on drugs actually."

"Yea I got drug tested almost every time I showed up for live TV, thanks for that by the way." She remarked.

"I was scared Ape." He admitted honestly. "I thought you were looking for someone to hurt you, you wanted me to hurt you."

"I did." She admitted.

"I mean physically." He said in awe of that day. "You were baiting me to go after you."

"I think deep down I know you would have never put a hand on me." She said to him. "If I really wanted someone to hurt me I would have pissed off the right person."

"I hated working on those tours with you two then Vince made us work together." He groaned.

"We were at peace during those tours." She reminded him.

"We were sleeping together again behind Nick and Amy's backs." Punk corrected. "You seemed like your old self and everything seemed so perfect."

"It was. Being around you made me feel better." She told him. "I loved working with you. Nick wasn't pleased and E wasn't thrilled that he was constantly covering for us."

"You uh-" Punk began.

"I hope you're not going to ask me if I slept with E." She warned him and he rolled his eyes.

"I know you didn't sleep with him or John." Punk said to her. "Even when you told me I didn't believe it."

"Nah, John's a good guy. His girlfriend is a monster but he's alright. He sat up and talked to me all night about my story and how I was handling things and giving me tips." She said to him. "Trent, Nick and you were the only men I was ever with in that company."

"I know." he said rubbing the back of his neck. "But what I was going to ask, did you ever let Nick hurt you?"

"No." She said shaking her head.

"He told me at the club-" he began.

"Phil I don't want to talk about my past sex life. Nick may act tough but 90% of the time he couldn't handle me. Even when I was normal." She laughed.

"They're going to be in Chicago this weekend." Punk told her. "I should invite Nick over."

"I don't think he would come over." She laughed. "He hates you as much as you hate him."

"I don't blame him." Punk remarked smugly. "I got you. He still posts pictures of the two of you, did you know that?"

"You need to get off social media for a little bit." She laughed.

"Has he tried to reach out to you at all?" Punk questioned.

"Nope." She said to him. "And if he did I'd tell him to go to hell."

"I should go down to the arena and beat the shit out of him." Punk said to her. "I saw him and Mike mock my fight too by the way."

"He just does it to piss you off. Don't feed into it." AJ said brushing it off. "He uses you to get people to talk about him, it's sad actually."

"It's getting late." Punk noted. "Want to go out to eat?"

"Hot dog stand?" She asked eagerly. That had been there dinner almost every night.

"No I mean really out." He laughed. "I want to take you somewhere nice or that at least has seating, a menu and a roof."

"You spoil me." She teased.

"I try my best."

* * *

 **A/N: This was to just kinda show how far apart they had really become and how they pushed each other away and a little spoiler into future chapters from when they start working matches together on live events again right before he dropped his title and left.**

 **There's still so much like, what the hell did Ziggler do when Punk left the company? What forced AJ out?**

 **I also don't want to make this story so dark so there will be lighter moments to come INCLUDING your awesome suggestions. YES I will write about Punk meeting his dad and YES I will write about the UK tour where AJ was sick and we'll get a glimpse into AJ's fears as she watches Punk wrestle.**

 **Thank you all for the awesome reviews, what else do you want to see? :)**


	9. Father Of The Girlfriend

**Father Of The Girlfriend**

* * *

After dinner AJ jumped in the shower while Punk was also in the bathroom trimming his beard at the sink. AJ's phone began to vibrate on the counter next to him and he couldn't help but peek at the name. He grinned and put down his razor and answered her phone.

"Hey Robert." Punk greeted and AJ stuck her head out of the shower.

"Is that my dad?" She asked and Punk just nodded.

"Tell him I'll call him back." AJ said to him.

"He called for me." Punk grinned.

"Of course he did." AJ groaned and closed the shower door again.

AJ rinsed out her hair and couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard Punk laughing loudly on the phone. Her father and husband were like to peas in a pod. They got along well from day one. Her father credited Punk for 'saving' her and now Punk could do no wrong in his eyes. But it was more than that. They both had a lot of tattoos, they both loved dogs, they loved similar music and TV but most importantly both men loved AJ more than anything. When Punk lost his fight her father had called on the drive home and spoke to Punk for almost an hour. Punk didn't speak to his biological father and his adoptive father had passed away a few years ago so Robert really filled a void that Punk didn't even know he had. She remembered how nervous Punk was right before they met.

* * *

" _What are you wearing?" AJ asked with a laugh as Punk stepped out of the bedroom of her small Tampa home._

" _Nice jeans, nice shirt." He shrugged looking himself over in the mirror hanging in the living room._

" _You don't need to dress up for him." AJ grinned walking over to him and unbuttoning his shirt. "Or at least button your shirt properly."_

 _"I'm a tad nervous." Punk admitted and she laughed._

 _"Why?" She asked fixing his shirt._

" _It's your father. I'd like him to like me." he said to her._

" _Since when do you need approval?" She asked amused._

" _I don't but I know how your dad and brother are very important to you and I plan on sticking around for a very long time and us all getting along will be nice." Punk said to her. "Your brother loves me."_

 _"Yes, Robbie is very fond of you." AJ agreed. "He loves you more than me."_

 _"That's not true." Punk said. "He definitely loves me more than your sister though."_

 _"Don't let Erica hear that." AJ laughed._

" _And you're the baby of your family and your dad is very protective." Punk said to her._

 _"He think you're my hero and he's not wrong." AJ said to him._

" _We're going to be late babe." He said looking at the time and she rolled her eyes as she grabbed her bag._

" _I'm never on time." She reminded him walking to the door but stopped short and turned to him._

" _Just a few tips, don't offer to pay for the bill he'll be insulted, he's going to pay." She warned him._

 _"Fine." He said to her._

" _Do NOT bring up politics." She also warned. "He's a democrat but he just gets really into it and angry and I don't want to hear him rant and rave for an hour."_

 _"No politics." He nodded._

" _Also, don't look at my breasts." She told him and his mouth dropped in shock._

" _Why would I- how could you-" he rambled nervously._

" _You've done it three times since you walked down the steps and he's going to point it out and make you uncomfortable." She said seriously._

 _"I wasn't-" He began again and she glared at him. "I'll try but I just do it it's not something I even realize I'm doing!" he defended._

" _Hey!" Robert Mendez greeted the second AJ opened her door._

 _Both Punk and AJ were shocked to see her father standing outside her door holding two pizza pies._

" _Daddy." She smiled giving him a kiss on the cheek._

" _Hope you don't mind." Robert said stepping inside and placing the boxes on AJ's living room table. "I didn't want to sit in a stuffy restaurant."_

 _"It's fine." AJ assured him. "Dad this is Phil." She introduced._

 _Punk shook his hand and gave Robert a nervous smile._

" _Good handshake." Robert grinned. "Firm. Unlike that last weasel." he said glaring at AJ who rolled her eyes._

" _Nick?" Punk asked and Robert seemed confused._

" _Who is Nick?" Robert questioned his daughter and AJ shot Punk a death glare._

" _Sorry." He mouthed to AJ._

* * *

 _An hour later the pizza had been eaten and AJ was sitting in the chair in her living room while her father and boyfriend occupied the couch as they watched the All-star baseball game. She couldn't help but feel left out since she was most of the time. They talked about her for a good portion of the time, as if she wasn't even there. Her father and Phil were the two most important men in her life and neither were paying attention to her._

" _I hate baseball." AJ announced and both looked over to her._

" _She had a great time at the Cubs game." Punk told her father. "Caught her that foul ball." He said pointing to the baseball that sat next to her TV in a glass case._

" _She just gets antsy when she's not the center of attention." Robert warned him. "Good luck with that." He teased elbowing Punk who laughed._

" _I wish Erica was in town." AJ muttered._

" _She's not, you're stuck with us." Robert shot at her. "And do you really want me to turn off the TV and give you my undivided attention? I have a lot I'd like to discuss with you such as this Nick character, your looking awfully thing how are your eating habits? How come your work schedule has been doubled? Why  
didn't you call me when-"_

 _"I'm trying to watch the game dad." AJ said annoyed looking at the TV._

" _April is doing great on the road." Punk told her father. "She eats right, she's getting enough sleep, she doesn't travel alone and stays safe and she works really hard."_

" _You can understand my concerns." Robert said to Punk who nodded in agreement. "I see her once or twice a year now and she doesn't keep me very well informed."_

 _"I'll keep you updated." Punk promised._

" _Phil." AJ hissed._

" _He's worried about you." Punk reasoned looking at her._

" _I don't need constant updates I just need to know how you're doing." Robert insisted. "Did you know while she was having her- whatever you call it, she didn't speak to me once?" he asked Punk who seemed surprised. "Me, her brother, her mother-"_

 _"I never speak to her." AJ mumbled under her breath._

" _You changed your phone number and wouldn't speak to us." Robert reminded her sternly. "We thought the worst."_

 _"I spoke to Erica." AJ defended._

" _Calling your sister once a month to tell her you were too busy to speak to the rest of us doesn't count." Robert scolded. "We didn't know what the hell was going on. I was sick with worry, we all were."_

" _If it makes you feel any better I barely spoke to Phil." AJ told him._

 _"No April Jeanette it does not." He said to her. "You were very sick and you don't even realize how bad it could have gotten for you." He said to her. "If you would have called me sooner I could have helped, I could have told you bipolar runs in the family."_

 _"I didn't know anything and I didn't want to talk to anybody I just wanted to suffer alone." AJ told him._

" _You're not alone April. You're never alone." Robert told her seriously. "You always have me."_

 _"I was scared." She told him sadly._

" _So was I." Robert added. "But I see you now and I'm thrilled. You're like the little girl who left for wrestling school again." He smiled proudly._

" _You can thank Phil for that." She said to him._

" _I do thank him." Robert said to her._

" _I can't take any credit." Punk said looking at her father. "You raised an incredible young woman." He began. "She was under a lot of pressure at work. I mean it's a lot for me and she never missed a day. No matter what she was feeling she woke up and entertained and did her job. She handled herself the best way she could. She wasn't raised to fend off the leaches or trained about the politics but she still managed to become the top female in the industry. She's a role model for girls and she carries herself with class. You don't have to worry about her, neither do I. She knew she needed help she just reached out to me."_

 _"She told me she was dangling off a terrace in the rain and you pulled her off." Robert said to him._

 _"We had discussed a few things before that night." Punk said to him. "We were working on a plan. She recognized there was a problem, she didn't need me to point it out. I also didn't have to drag her to a doctor she went willingly. She's brave."_

" _He's giving me way too much credit." AJ said to her father._

" _Ape-" Punk began._

" _Phil knew months before I hit rock bottom something was wrong and I ignored him and I lashed out at him and I tried to hurt him constantly." She informed her father. "I did things you wouldn't be proud of that I will always regret and at the end of the day he stood by me anyway."_

 _"I think we both did things we weren't proud of." Punk said looking over to her sadly._

" _Well." Robert began sucking in a breath. "I'd say my daughter is in good hands with you and I'd also say that my daughter doesn't need to be any hands." he said looking at AJ. "I was just worried honey."_

" _It's not going to happen again." AJ assured him. "I'm going to slow down and take it easy."_

 _"That's all well and good but you need to have fun." Robert told her. "All work all of the time sounds awful. It seems like things started getting better once you surrounded yourself with better people. You have to get out there more."_

 _"I went to the baseball game." AJ defended pointing at the ball._

 _"Do things for yourself too." Robert told her. "For Christmas I was going to go to Puerto Rico to see Robbie and the girls-"_

 _"You should." AJ told him. "Take Jade." She said referring to his girlfriend._

" _I don't know how your mom would like that." Robert laughed._

" _She'd hate it." AJ grinned._

" _So I should take her." Robert laughed. "But New Years I promised I'd come back and be with Erica and I'd like you to be there too." he said to her then looked at Punk. "Both of you. I have a new place out here and I want to have a big party."_

 _"I don't know what Phil's holiday plans are." AJ said to him._

" _I'll come." Punk said without hesitation._

" _You'll make sure my little girl isn't alone for Christmas?" Robert asked and Punk chuckled._

" _I have that covered already." Punk assured him._

 _"You do?" She asked._

" _Of course." He remarked knowingly. "I thought you'd come to Chicago and we'd hopefully have some snow and you could have a white Christmas. You said you hate Florida during Christmas. Then we can fly out here for New Years." he suggested._

" _Sounds like a plan." AJ agreed happily._

* * *

AJ had a towel wrapped around her as she used another to dry her hair after stepping out of the shower.

"Your dad picked me up this limited edition hockey card I've been looking for." Punk told her passing her back her phone. "We have to fly out to Tampa and get it."

"Ok." She said to him.

"I think he's bribing us because he misses you." Punk said to her.

"I think he misses you." AJ laughed.

"I agree, I was just trying to be nice." Punk teased.

"I was just remembering the first time you met him." AJ said to him.

"The night I won your dad over. No girls father ever has liked me as much as your father likes me." Punk informed her.

"He's never liked any of my boyfriends." She said and he looked at her. "That's it. He's just never liked any but you. You made a wonderful impression on him."

"He was so thrilled when I told him I was going to propose." Punk remembered fondly. "I mean your dad really does love me."

"I told you, you're right up there with me and Robbie." She smirked. "I like that three most important men of my life get along so well. You all join forces  
when together and tease and mock me."

"Hey, I defended you to Robbie when he said you dress weird." Punk reminded her.

"Oh of course." she laughed.

"So, can we go to Tampa soon?" he asked. "He's trying to cheer me up after my fight."

"Yes I kind of figured that out." AJ laughed. "We can go wherever you want. I actually want to sit down with him and talk about my book."

"He mentioned that by the way. He pre-ordered twelve copies." He told her seriously and she laughed. "I'm not kidding. He's going to get one framed, one he's going to read, one is going to your aunt in Puerto Rico-"

"I really need to talk to him about it." She sighed.

"I thought your family was ok with what you were writing about childhood?" Punk asked.

"They are. All minus my mom." She remarked coldly. "But that stuff he knows about, he lived it. I have to give him a heads up about my adult life. I don't want him to have heart attack when he reads how I used sex with another man to make you jealous or how I wanted men to hurt me or-"

"Maybe you don't use those words." He suggested lightly. "You're really making it sound worse."

"Imagine we have a daughter. Beautiful, smart, successful." She envisioned for him.

"I can see that." Punk agreed nodding along.

"And she writes a book about how she had mental breakdown and threw herself out a man who-" she was cut short by Punk interrupting.

"You're right I wouldn't like it." Punk agreed quickly. "I'd skip those chapters and hunt down-" he stopped. "You wrote about our sex lives!" he yelled.

"What?" She asked laughing. "It's not a romantic novel Phil."

"He's going to read about how slept together." He hissed.

"I think he figured that out." She laughed.

"How am I going to look him in the eye?" Punk asked her seriously.

"It's not detailed Phil." She giggled as she brushed her hair. "Even though I do mention that you are selfless in the bedroom and how you make my toes curl." She warned.

"We need to get that card he got me before that book comes out and he decides to kill me." He warned her seriously.

"We're married. He knows what married couples do." AJ giggled.

"We did this before marriage and you said imagine it was your daughter and all I can think is how I would have a published hit list." He said to her. "I'd take me out first!" he yelled and she laughed hysterically. "Babe, please this isn't funny."

"You knew what was in the book." She reminded him.

"Yea I just didn't realize your father or your brother who owns a lot of guns by the way, would be reading it as well." He said to her.

"I think they'll be more interested in the other people in my book." She said to him. "There's a lot of unflattering stories about my mom in there that they never heard before."

"I'm assuming they're expecting those stories." Punk said to her.

"I just need to sit down with him and give him a heads up." She said to him.

"Fine. But we get the card first before he has a chance to rip it up." He told her and she smiled at him.

"So you'll come with me?" She asked hopefully.

"I want that card." He said seriously and she pouted. "I'd go anyway. Didn't I fly out to Puerto Rico for New Years so you could sit down and tell them you were writing the book? You've got me. Full support always."

"And you've got me." She smiled wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up at him. "I won't let my dad or brother kill you."

"I'd appreciate that." he said seriously then leaned down and nipped at her lips.


	10. Liar, Liar Pants On Fire

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! Had a busy few days. I appreciate the reviews and I knowing my timing is off on some of the chapters, it's so all over that I've confused myself lol also the story isn't what I think happened it was an idea that I over dramatized for the purpose of writing. Just try to enjoy it and keep the suggestions coming, I love them!**

* * *

 **Liar, Liar Pants On Fire**

* * *

AJ let Larry drag her along the sidewalk as Punk couldn't help but laugh.

"You really need to take charge and stop letting him lead you." Punk informed her.

"He doesn't give me much of a choice." She groaned as Larry stopped and began to eat something off of the curb.

"No." Punk scolded the dog taking the stick out of his mouth. "This is why you can't walk him."

"I can walk a dog Phil." She remarked annoyed. "I've had plenty of dogs."

"He's going to walk you right into traffic." Punk said to her.

"He is not." She snipped back at him.

"Remember the first time you walked him?" Punk asked her and she glared at him.

"I didn't see that car." She defended lightly.

"Lucky for you the driver saw you and rather than curse you out for running in the street he thought you were pretty and tried to get your number." Punk said to her and she just shrugged innocently.

"Come on Larry." AJ said trying to tug on the leash. "Time to go back."

"Larry." Punk demanded in a sterner voice and Larry turned and ran towards him. "Good boy." Punk smirked kneeling down to pet him.

"Show off." AJ muttered.

"Don't be like that." Punk laughed standing up straight.

"That's fine you can be the bad cop." AJ told him simply. "When we have children I'll be the good cop."

"Fine." He scoffed.

"Yea?" She asked hopefully.

"Yea because that will never happen." He said as they began to walk back.

"What do you mean?" She frowned.

"I mean, you naturally take charge of everything- even me." He pointed out. "You're stern and if I'm afraid to tell you no then our kids will be too."

"I don't take charge." She scoffed. "That would be you. You're always bossing me around."

"That's the beauty of you, my dear sweet April." Punk began sweetly. "You are always so busy worrying about me or your siblings or your friends that you don't take care of yourself. How many nights during my training camp did you not eat because you were so busy cooking me special meals? How many times did you cancel a doctors appointment because you wanted to be home when I got home from training in case I was hurt? How many gathering did you blow off after my back surgery?"

"That's different." She defended.

"You almost forgot your own birthday." He reminded her. "Who forgets their own birthday?"

"I had a lot going on with writing." She shrugged.

"And with my surgery." He sighed. "You've given up a lot of your own time these past two years to be by my side during my training and fight."

"You would do the same for me." She said with a cute smile.

"Bet your ass I would." He smirked. "Point I'm making is, you spend all of your time taking care of me and making sure I'm ok because that's who you are  
and you will be the same when we have a kid."

"So you always get to be the fun one?" She pouted.

"Yes." He replied seriously and she laughed.

"Oh I hope we have a girl first." She said still laughing.

"She'd be daddy's girl." Punk remarked proudly.

"Yea, until she's a teen and starts dating and you start telling her she can't wear makeup or short skirts." She noted happily as his face dropped. "Then I'll get to be the fun one."

"You're messed up." He mumbled under his breath.

"Here." She said passing Punk Larry's leash. "My stomach hurts."

"Must have been all that salad you ate." He mocked then arched a brow at her. "Ulcer?"

"I think so." She frowned. "It's all of this talk about the Nick crap."

"It's in the past Ape." he sighed.

"I just keep thinking about that Mania week and how mad you were." She frowned.

"Wouldn't you have been?" he asked her seriously.

"I would have killed you." She admitted rubbing her stomach and he placed his free arm around her shoulders.

"That's all over now. And it's not just you that has to let it go, it's me too." He told her.

* * *

 _The Raw before Wrestlemania was always a pretty big show but AJ was just not in the mood that night. And not only was she in a lot of pain due to her neck, but she had to film Smackdown right after and stand there and take Nikki Bella's cheap shot insults. She kept thinking about the awful argument she had with her husband before arriving tonight about her wrestling while her neck still hurt. He only responded to her texts with one worded responses. When someone knocked at her door she secretly hoped it was husband showing up to apologize, even though he was only concerned for her._

" _Ugh." AJ groaned opening the door seeing Nick standing there._

" _Hey." Nick grinned._

" _Please go away." She groaned._

" _Trouble in paradise?" He teased._

" _Fuck off." She mumbled._

" _Yup, that's what it sounds like." Nick said to her. "He's a miserable son of a bitch, I warned you of that when you got engaged."_

 _"Right." AJ muttered. "Can you go?"_

 _"I'm just trying to help a friend out." Nick shrugged. "I saw online that Punk is at the hockey game." He told her and she frowned. "No ring either, probably on the prowl." He winked._

" _You don't know what you're talking about and it's very strange to me that you keep such close tabs on my husband." she replied._

" _Is he still your husband?" Nick questioned innocently._

" _Are you still standing here?" She mocked and began to close the door but he slid inside the room. "I want you to leave."_

" _Off your meds?" Nick teased closing the door behind him._

" _What?" She asked stunned._

" _You didn't think I didn't know about that? You're sick in the head, did you really need a doctor to tell you that?" Nick laughed. "Besides I saw the medication in your suitcase."_

 _"What were you doing going through my stuff?" She demanded._

" _I thought I left my shirt in there right after we split." Nick shrugged._

 _"Please just leave me alone." AJ sighed pointing at the door._

" _I promised Punk I'd check in on you." Nick replied innocently._

" _What?" AJ asked slowly._

" _I saw there was some Twitter issues between the two of you, I sent him a message that I'd look after you." Nick laughed. AJ had no doubt he did, Nick considered himself to be a 'comedian' which he wasn't. There was nothing funny about him pissing off her already pissed of husband._

" _Please tell me you're kidding." She pleaded._

" _Come on it's funny." Nick chuckled._

" _He hasn't answered my calls and now I know why." AJ groaned grabbing her phone._

" _It was a joke and if he believes me then he clearly doesn't trust you." Nick noted. "Can't say I blame him. I actually saw he was at the hockey game with some chick."_

 _"His sister." AJ snapped._

" _That was a couple of hours ago." Nick noted. "If it makes you feel any better he didn't respond to me either."_

" _Get out!" AJ yelled swinging her door open._

" _Damn girl did you take your meds- I mean seriously." He asked and she physically pushed him out the door._

 _AJ walked over to purse and pulled out her pills, she DID forget to take them for the last few days. AJ had a full week of events and media before Mania and she didn't need her medication slowing her down. She was much more wired without them and just put them back in her purse._

* * *

 _AJ was so wired she decided to go out for a run- at 2AM. She completely lost track of time and by the time she made back to her hotel room, there was somebody waiting for her inside of it._

" _Hey." AJ greeted her husband who was sitting up on her bed waiting for her. "How did you get in here? When did you get here?"_

 _"I flew out after the game." he said and she noticed him holding something in his hand._

" _I thought you were mad at me." She frowned._

" _I am." He said calmly. "What the fuck is this Ape?" He asked holding her prescription bottle up._

" _My medicine." She said slowly._

" _Yea I know that because I picked it up for you a week ago and you haven't taken one." He said standing up._

" _You counted my pills?" She laughed but he scowled at her._

" _You think this is funny?" He asked her seriously. "I get a message from your last mental breakdown about keeping you company , fly out here to see you're gone at 2 AM and you come in all sweaty?"_

" _I went for a run." She laughed._

" _Is there a reason I should believe you?" He asked her coldly._

" _Yea Phil, because that's what I'm telling you." She responded calmly._

" _You also told me you were taking your medication." He snapped. "Why are you on the road not taking your meds? Why are you not taking them in general?" He demanded. "And what the fuck are doing with Nick?"_

 _"Nothing!" AJ yelled._

" _What's this?" He asked holding up a room key._

" _A room key." She shrugged._

 _"Not just any room key, this was on your floor when I came in and I went to the room. Guess who's room it was?" He asked her._

" _I have no idea." She defended honestly._

 _"Ryder's room." He told her and AJ rolled her eyes._

" _I wasn't with Ryder." She scoffed._

" _He's bunking with Nick." Punk told her. "But he had left without explanation Zack told me, now again I'm going to ask you where the hell you've been and don't lie to me."_

 _"I went out for a run!" She yelled. "I swear to god Phil! How could you-"_

 _"How could I accuse you?" He asked with a bitter laughed inching closer to her. "Messages from Nick, his room key in your room- why was his key on your private room floor?!"_

 _"He was here!" She yelled back and he nodded coldly._

" _Finally some honesty." He mocked._

" _He came in here to tell me how he messaged you and laugh at the fact that he knew we were having problems. I physically pushed him out of my room and that's probably when the card fell out of his hand or pocket or something!" She told him now growing desperate. "I would never cheat on you."_

 _"I don't know what you're all about anymore Ape." He told her honestly. "You're not taking your medication-"_

" _It slows me down." She insisted. "That's the only reason, you know how busy these weeks can get and you know how sleepy my medicine makes me."_

 _"That's not good enough." Punk said to her. "How am I supposed to believe anything out of your mouth? You're unhinged!"_

 _"Unhinged?" She asked stunned. "I think I'm doing fine. As a matter of fact I don't even think I need to take the medicine anymore."_

" _Stop taking your medicine and kiss me goodbye." He threatened and her face dropped. "It's a deal breaker."_

 _"You're threatening me?" she asked._

" _I don't trust you when you're not taking your medicine." He told her honestly. "I can't have a marriage with someone I don't trust, with someone who invited her ex into her hotel room-"_

 _"That was nothing! And the fact that you let him get to you like that proves you're an idiot." She snapped and he held back a laugh._

" _And you don't think you need your medicine?" He asked amused. "Lashing out at me like that and running around at 2AM doing god knows what?"_

 _"I went for a run!" She yelled._

" _Why the fuck are you out there running by yourself at 2AM?" He demanded to know. "I don't know which is worse, you fucking your ex or you running around looking to be killed?"_

 _"You're so dramatic." She said shaking her head. "I have a big week-"_

 _"Keep saying that to me like I have no idea what you have to do this week." He warned her._

" _You've been nasty to me since I came back to work." She remarked._

 _"So you're punishing me?" He asked confused._

" _I didn't do anything to hurt you." She sighed. "I didn't have an affair-"_

 _"Not taking your medicine hurts me." He pointed out. "It hurts you so in turn it hurts me. You don't have to look at yourself when you're losing it, I do. And I know coming back wasn't something you wanted to do and you were pushed into it and I know you're working a lot and traveling alone and-"_

 _"I'm completely and totally alone." She added. "I mean completely. I have nobody here Phil. After the lawsuit and my comments to Stephanie I have nobody."_

 _"You have Paige." Punk reasoned._

 _"I don't have Paige. She's filming her show. This the first time I've ever truly been on my own and it sucks." She told him. "I don't even want to get up because you've alienated me against the entire company. I can't even sit in catering, I grab food and eat it in an empty office that I get changed in because I'm not welcome in the Divas locker room. Nobody will even talk to me about my matches or creative plans except for James or Vince. Nobody says hi to me or even smiles. I work all night by myself then I come back here and I'm alone and you don't even talk to me half the time. I have nothing. So I stopped taking the meds the last few days."_

 _"Because you feel better not taking them?" Punk asked genuinely curious._

" _I just have more energy." She said to him._

 _"More energy to hang out with Nick?" He asked casually and she rolled her eyes. "It's fucked up and very suspicious and you know it."_

" _As suspicious as you going out without your ring on." She shot right back at him._

" _I took it off when I was working out and forgot." He told her and she snorted._

" _How would you feel if I happen to leave my ring off? Mister 'the ring means you're mine' and you bitched about how I have to wear it all of the time." She said to him._

 _"I'd rather you have forgotten to put your rings on then entertain your fuck buddy in your room tonight." Punk said to her._

" _Nothing went on!" She yelled._

" _Right." Punk smirked walking to the door._

" _Where are you going?" She asked._

" _I will not stand by and watch you do this to yourself." He told her. "Take your medicine or I'm leaving. Maybe I can have a real fucking conversation with you once you do."_

 _"I haven't taken it in days and you haven't noticed." She remarked. "Unless it involves you directly you don't notice."_

 _"What is wrong with you?" He asked annoyed. "Never mind I already know."_

" _I'm sorry I'm just-" She began._

 _"You can't just come off your medicine April." he reminded her. "The doctor was talking about weening you off or lowering it but now you just fucking stop it and start acting up?"_

 _"I haven't done anything!" She yelled._

 _Punk opened the door and the minute he did he saw Nick passing the room with some redhead. He was dressed in nice clothing which meant he was at a club of some kind, AJ was in running clothes- that answered his question._

" _Oh crap." Nick mumbled and Punk stalked over to him and got in his face._

 _"Phil don't." AJ warned grabbing his arm._

" _I'm busy right now." Nick said to him._

" _What the fuck were you doing in my wife's room tonight?" Punk asked him ignoring his female company._

" _I was concerned for her. She's not taking her medication." Nick said simply and Punk jerked his head to AJ._

" _How does he know?" Punk asked._

" _You're making everything worse." AJ hissed at Nick. "Tell him nothing went on."_

 _"Nothing went on." Nick laughed. "I have my own company tonight." He remarked nodding towards the female waiting at his door. "My message to you was a joke."_

 _"You think that shit is funny?" Punk asked tilting his head menacingly at Nick. "You think trying to manipulate my marriage is fun? Did you show up in my wife's room because you knew she wasn't well? Thought you'd get something from her?"_

" _The answer is yes." Nick smiled. "To all three."_

 _"Don't!" AJ yelled grabbing Punk's arm as he raised it._

" _I have to go kick my roommate out of my room so I can have a good night, do you mind?" Nick asked enjoying all of this._

" _Yea I fucking mind." Punk hissed shoving him hard into the door behind him. "Why are you so obsessed with my wife and my marriage?"_

" _I'm not." Nick retorted. "I was worried about your wife because somebody should be. I mean you're so involved with your UFC gig and training and trashing the company that technically gave you your wife who you claim to love so much-"_

 _"It's not just a claim." Punk whispered so nobody else would hear but Nick. "It's a fact and I will kill anybody who I think is trying to hurt her."_

 _"You're the one hurting her." Nick responded. "Don't come here and act tough or like you care-"_

 _"You're ass kicking has been a long time coming." Punk grinned coldly. "You realized AJ was off, messaged me and went into her room hoping she'd be like she was back in the day and you'd get laid. You're that fucking twisted that you tried to bang her knowing she's married."_

 _"I don't owe you shit." Nick told him. "When we were working that tour with Big E and she was with me and I know you pulled her onto your bus more than once and slept with her."_

 _"One- she wasn't married to you and two- fuck you she was with me first." Punk responded._

" _Phil people are watching." AJ whispered._

 _Punk and Nick made some noise and doors had opened, mostly WWE people but Punk didn't care._

 _"I'm going to be hanging around this week and I'm going to be watching you like a fucking hawk." Punk warned him before he let AJ drag him back into her room._

" _I'm sorry." AJ said closing the door behind her._

" _For what?" he asked seriously. "Lying about your medicine? Or-"_

 _"That's the only thing I have to apologize for." She said to him and walked over to her bottle and took a pill out and swallowed it without water._

" _You can't do this." He said to her. "You can't be on the road where nobody is watching your back and be off your meds like this, fucking Nick could tell and tried to take advantage of that." Punk pointed out._

" _You just don't trust me." AJ said sadly._

 _"I trust you when you're you." He told her honestly. "What would have happened if I didn't show up? You would have just kept not taking your meds until you completely broke again? Only this time who would be there to pull you from the ledge?"_

 _"I married you because I love you not because I needed a parent." She remarked and he walked over to her._

 _"I love you and married you for that reason only. But I won't sit idly by either. You just don't take care of yourself. You take care of everyone and everything else but you." He said to her._

" _I hate being here." she blurted out. "It makes me sad and I question myself all of the time."_

 _"So what do you want to do about it?" He asked her seriously. "Tell me and I'll support you. Do you need me to travel with you?"_

 _"I don't need a sitter." She groaned._

 _"It's not about being a sitter. It's about supporting you. And I will do it. I haven't been fair to you." He agreed. "And I don't like the idea of you traveling alone or going out for runs at this time- why would you do that? What were you thinking?"_

 _"I wasn't." She muttered._

" _You do realize you have a stalker out there right?" He asked and she just nodded. "You clearly don't care what you do to yourself so I'll put it like this for you- if something happens to you I'm done. You think I'm all you have? You're all I have." He told her. "You have got to be more careful."_

 _"I think I need to come off the road." She told him and he just nodded. "My neck really hurts." She choked out and he frowned. "I didn't even have a match and it hurts so bad and-"_

" _Alright." Punk sighed pulling her against his chest and she cried softly into it. "We'll get you to a doctor tomorrow or a physical therapist and maybe they can do something about the pain."_

 _"I have media." She reminded him._

 _"Not anymore. You can call them or I can but you have to take yourself first." He told her._

" _The fans-" She began._

 _"The fans would rather see you wrestle Sunday than anything else." Punk told her._

" _They're putting me on the UK tour too." She sighed and he let out a groan._

 _"I thought they said they wouldn't?" He asked holding back anger._

" _They changed their mind." She whispered. "They're talking about another title run."_

 _"They're always talking about a title run for you when they can tell you're ready to walk." Punk remarked._

" _Are you going to stay with me this week?" She asked hopefully._

 _"I picked a big enough bag." He smirked nodding towards his luggage._

" _You were expecting to find me here with Nick." She pointed out. "You packed a lot for that."_

 _"I thought I'd have to kill him and go on the run with you." He said seriously and she laughed. "I love that laugh." he stated relieved._

* * *

"I feel like every story ends with me crying." She frowned as they were a few houses away from their home.

"They don't. There's plenty of times where you're picking me up or picking yourself up for that matter." He said to her. "You let your guard down with me and that just proves how much you love and trust me."

"I do love and trust you." She grinned wrapping her two arms around his one and rested her head against his shoulder.


	11. When Punk Met Larry

**When Punk Met Larry**

* * *

"You h **ad to** piss right outside the shower door?" Punk groaned at his dog Larry as he cleaned up the floor. "I just fucking showered." Larry just chased after Punk's hand as he cleaned the floor thinking it was a game. "It's not a game pal." He warned his dog.

"What?" AJ asked walking into the bathroom.

"Your dog just pissed all over the floor just in time for me to step in it after a nice long shower." Punk informed her.

"He didn't mean it." AJ frowned picking up the dog.  
"Yea he did. He's fucking spiteful." Punk remarked.

"You still love him." AJ teased holding Larry to Punk's face so he could lick him. "He said sorry daddy."

"Yea, yea." Punk mumbled. "I knew he'd be trouble."

"Yet you still wanted him." She grinned letting Larry lick her face. "He's one of us."

"I guess. But if I started peeing all around the house you wouldn't be as nice." He joked.

"Look at this face." She remarked cupping Larry's face.

"You know we can't have kids until we learn to discipline or at least train our dog." He warned her and she laughed.

"That goes for you too." She said to him. "You're the one who wants one immediately."

"Not immediately but before I turn 40." He reminded her. "After the fight, after your book launch we're going to get it done."

"Well, hopefully Larry is trained by then." She teased putting the dog down who ran out of the bathroom.

"He won't be." Punk said honestly and she laughed.

"Be prepared to clean up double once we have the baby then." She warned him.

"Of course." He snorted. "That's why we'll get all of the crazy work out of the way so we can just focus on family after."

"I thought you'd want to fight again." She pointed out.

"Of course I do and I will but it won't be my main focus in another year or so." He said to her.

"So we'll live off of what we have and hope we don't run out?" She asked curiously.

"I already have a bunch of comic ideas that are about to be finalized." He told her. "And I'll still do things."

"So will I." She told him. "You don't just expect me to do nothing right?"

"Of course not. You can do whatever you want. Movies, commercials, more books- I've got your back." He said to her. "But the point is we don't have to worry about traveling or things like that."

"That is true." She agreed.

"I mean we just learned how to travel properly with Larry." Punk pointed out and she laughed.

"He hates plane rides." She reminded him.

"I'd hate to be stuck in a small bag too." Punk defended.

"We're going to have him two years soon." She reminded him happily.

"That's right." Punk remembered.

* * *

 _Punk walked into Paws Chicago after calling the day before to set up an appointment. AJ who just had neck surgery was feeling down. She felt bad being out of action and unable to work out and sitting at home while he went to Milwaukee to train. She felt things with work were just not going her way and she was slowly being erased. He had finally agreed to get a dog, even though originally they agreed to get one after she retired so someone could be home with the dog. She found a picture of Larry on the local shelters website and he played it off because he did kind of want to surprise her. He knew she'd say yes to any dog, Punk had to make sure this dog would be a good fit first._

 _He turned down the hallway with one of the volunteers and there was this ugly dog sitting up with his face pressed against the glass._

" _This is him?" Punk asked._

 _"Yup, Mr. B." The volunteer told him._

" _Stupid name." Punk mumbled. "Can I take him out?"_

" _Yea just go into that room and I'll get him for you." The volunteer said to him._

 _Punk waited in the room and a few minutes later the dog was placed in the room and they gave Punk some privacy. The dog raced right to where Punk was sitting on the small bench and began nipping at his fingers._

" _Oh good you're a bitter." Punk remarked sarcastically._

 _A few minutes in though, Punk was on the floor playing with the dog. It was an instant connection as far as Punk was concerned and as much as he wanted to take the home right now but he knew AJ had to meet the dog first._

" _How are we doing?" the volunteer asked._

" _I want him." Punk said bluntly. "But I have to get my wife here."_

 _"We're closing in a few minutes but I'm sure I can sneak you both in." The man offered._

" _She's sleeping and she just had surgery I don't want to wake her." Punk said scratching the dog behind his ear. "Can I like, put him on hold or something?"_

" _Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. We can't hold off on giving a dog home in case you change your mind." The man informed him and Punk agreed._

" _Yea I get it." He groaned._

" _I wouldn't worry, Mr. B isn't the most popular." the man told him and Punk frowned. "He has quit the reputation."_

 _"Yea?" Punk grinned as if he was a proud father._

" _We believe in full disclosure here and you should see his paperwork before you consider adoption." The man warned._

 _"I think he's great." Punk shrugged._

" _I have to show you the paperwork." The man informed him already holding a large file._

 _"Woah." Punk mocked as the man passed it to him. "Talk about priors." he said looking down at the dog who was running over his lap. "Biting, biting, biting- you like to bite?" he asked the dog jokingly._

" _He doesn't get along with other animals so if you have one at home I suggest bringing it in here to test it out first." The volunteer suggested._

" _Nah, well, we have a fish but I don't think the dog is going to care." Punk said reading over the file._

" _He's not super baby friendly." The volunteer also warned and that did cause some concern for Punk. Obviously a baby was something both he and AJ wanted and they wouldn't be putting it on hold for any reason, especially for a dog they didn't even have yet._

" _Well, dogs can learn with that right?" Punk asked hopefully._

" _Of course they can." The volunteer assured him. "Dogs actually during pregnancy become super protective of their female owners." and Punk nodded. "Is your wife expecting?"_

 _"No not yet but down the road that's the plan." Punk told him._

 _"I think you'll all be ok." The volunteer told him._

" _I really want to take him now but I have to get my wife here to meet him first." Punk sighed. "Bite anyone else who tries to look at you." He instructed the dog. "I'll be back tomorrow fist thing." he said standing up with the dog in his arms who was now licking him._

" _Wow, and I'm not just saying this because I want him to have a good home but he's never had such a positive reaction to somebody before."_

" _He's like us." Punk said to the man._

" _Us?" The man asked._

" _My wife and I." Punk said reluctantly passing the dog back to him. "We don't really fit in anywhere either. We kind of formed our own alliance, this guy would be a great addition." he said petting the dog's head one more time._

* * *

 _The next morning AJ was up and removing her neck brace as she looked in the bathroom mirror._

" _Should you be taking that off?" Punk asked._

" _I only have to wear it when I sleep now." She said with a sigh and lifted her hair. "Do you see a scar?"_

 _"It's there babe." He said to her. "We'll have it taken care of."_

" _It's actually fitting that they cut right into where my tattoo is." She said as Punk ran his finger over the incision gently. "The final nail in my coffin."_

 _"It won't be." He said to her._

" _Aren't you going to be late?" She asked noting the time._

" _I'm not going to Milwaukee today." He told her._

" _Phil you've missed so many days because you've been taking care of me." She frowned. "I don't want you to fall behind."_

 _"I have plans today." He informed her. "Actually, we have plans."_

 _"I'm not up for leaving the house." She sighed. "Look at me." She noted._

 _"I am and you're beautiful." He replied smoothly. "But what I have planned doesn't involve much, you can go like that as a matter of fact."_

 _"Yea? Just like this? I won't even put a brush through my hair." She laughed._

 _"Seriously go in PJ's." He encouraged. "Just put on a bra because I find it distracting."_

" _Where are we going?" She asked._

" _I can't tell you it's a surprise but we really can't be late." He warned her. "You have ten minutes to get ready."_

 _"That's not enough time to shower." She argued._

 _"Trust me you don't have to." he said to her urgently. "But if we're late it can ruin everything so please hurry." He said then headed out of the bathroom._

* * *

" _We're getting him!?" AJ asked anxiously as they entered the no-kill animal shelter._

" _If he's still here." Punk said to her holding onto her hand. "I came by last night to meet him after the drive home."_

 _"You did?" she asked touched._

" _He's awesome." Punk told her and her face lit up._

 _Ten minutes later they were both in the room and AJ had fallen in love with the hairy dog. The dog also didn't even try to nip at her like he did with Punk, he was perfect with AJ. The volunteer went over the list of issues with the dog but none of it fazed Punk or AJ. Even the tidbit about him with dogs, they had faith when they were ready for a baby, their new companion would too._

" _This is the best valentines day ever." AJ said holding onto the dog as they walked out of the shelter a couple of hours later. Punk had no idea that adopting a dog would involve the same amount of paperwork as buying a house._

" _It was easier to get our marriage license." Punk said holding a file filled with paperwork. "And it's not valentines day. That's tomorrow and I was hoping you'd accompany me to the Hawks/Devil game."_

" _I'd like that." She smiled as Punk opened the passenger side door for her to climb in._

" _Dinner too obviously." He said getting into the car now himself. "I know you've been feeling down."_

 _"I have but it's silly." she sighed petting the anxious dog._

" _It's not silly. I've been in your shoes before." He pointed out._

" _What are we going to name him?" AJ asked._

 _"I've given it a lot of thought." He told her proudly. "Duncan Teeth."_

" _Nope." AJ shot back quickly. "Absolutely not."_

" _But-" He began._

 _"Nope." She smiled looking down at the dog._

" _Fine." He groaned starting the car._

" _We need to get to the pet store." She told him. "He needs a bed, a better leash, food dishes-"_

 _"Do you want to take him home and I'll pick up the stuff?" he asked._

" _No we'll go with you." She said still smiling at the dog. "Our little family is almost complete." She said looking over to Punk._

" _Almost?" he asked nervously. "One dog is good enough and this one doesn't even like other dogs-"_

 _"I meant a baby." She said to him. "After your fight we're going to have one and then we'll have the complete family."_

* * *

Of course that originally was supposed to happen at least a year ago, but Punk's fight kept getting pushed back more and more that they ended up agreeing to wait until after she did her book tour in April. He was anxious to get started on it. The more he worked out at the the gym and saw all the guys bringing in their kids the more envious he became. He wanted to to start that chapter with his wife, even though it did terrify him. He didn't have the best relationship with his blood parents and AJ didn't have a good one with her mother but both are determined to not make those kind of mistakes. Both have also been ready for a while now, they just need a little more time...

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm having some trouble with formatting on here. Everything is coming out bold and I can't turn it off...I find it to be annoying, hopefully it gets fixed soon.**


	12. You Make Me Better

**You Make Me Better**

* * *

" _Thank you." AJ smiled accepting the hot cup of coffee from her boyfriend._

 _They were in the UK doing a long and agonizing tour, it was only bearable because they were with each other. Originally AJ was scheduled for a different tour but with a few words to Vince, AJ was moved to his and he was at ease._

" _Someone is taking our picture." Punk said to AJ as he gripped her hand and they began to walk faster._

" _I think the cat has been out of the bag for a while." AJ pointed out._

" _I just don't think it's necessary to follow us and take pictures like some kind of zoo animals." He insisted._

" _Did you see there was a picture of us backstage?" She asked and he froze._

" _After my match when..." he trailed off nervously and she laughed._

" _No! Of us eating with Paul." She giggled and he was relieved._

 _"Good. I don't need the world to see us unwinding after a show." He said as they headed to their hotel, still hand in hand. "Speaking of eating, want me to pick you up something from the restaurant before the show?"_

 _"I'm not hungry." She said to him and he narrowed his eyes at her._

 _"You know what's funny? I haven't seen you eat once in the last two days." He noted._

" _Really?" She asked innocently._

 _"Yea. You didn't eat with us last night at the show, you didn't eat breakfast with me this morning." He noted. "Have you eaten?"_

 _"I have." She told him._

" _What have you ate?" He asked seriously. "Besides inhaling coffee this trip what solids have you consumed?"_

" _My stomach hurts." She sighed and he shook his head. "I think I have an ulcer or something."_

 _"An ulcer? Then you should go see doc." He told her. "You can't not eat."_

 _"I'm eating protein bars and meal bars I just can't stomach a big meal." She frowned._

 _"It's not healthy Ape." He told her. "You need to eat real food. At least have a salad."_

 _"I'll have one tonight before my match at the arena." She promised._

" _Will you go see doc?" Punk asked as well._

" _Yes I'll do that too." She told him._

" _If I miss one meal I'm cranky." Punk said to her._

" _I've noticed." She remarked sarcastically._

" _I don't know how you can go almost two days without eating." He scolded._

 _"When you're in as much pain as I am in, you wouldn't be eating either." She told him._

 _"You should have seen the doctor when it first started." He told her._

" _I thought it would go away." She sighed leaning against his arm._

" _Maybe you can sit out your match tonight?" he suggested._

" _No I need to wrestle. People have paid to see me." She told him._

" _Yea but if you're not-" he began._

" _How many times have you worked sick? You did and you were fine and nobody could convince you not to." She told him cutting him off._

" _Fine." He mumbled. "But you're going to see doc."_

" _I will." She promised._

* * *

 _Later that night AJ found Punk in a room signing a stack of photos to be sold and took a seat next to him._

 _"Hey, see doc?" Punk asked._

 _"Yea he said I was fine." She told him and he frowned._

" _Are you still in pain?" He asked._

 _"Not much." She shrugged._

" _Then you're not fine." He told her slowly._

" _He said if it keeps up I should go to the hospital." She told him and he shook his head in disbelief._

" _Worst doctor ever." he said to her. "Maybe you should stay tagged out most of the match tonight."_

 _"I told you it's ok." She told him. "It really is a little better. How many more do you have to sign?"_

" _Just a thousand." He mocked. "My hand is killing me."_

" _Poor baby." She mocked. "You could be using that hand for other things..."_

 _"Don't get me all worked up." He groaned. "We have hours before we can leave and all I want to do is take you back to the hotel room and-"_

" _Uh-huh." A voice said and Punk realized John Cena was sitting next to him signing his own pictures. "Don't let me sitting here interrupt."_

" _I should get going." She said and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you after your match."_

* * *

 _AJ didn't make it far in her match before she hit the ground. One second she was tagging out and the next thing she remembered was a security guard and doc leaning over her trying to get her to wake up. She was a little nervous having no idea what was happening._

" _What-" AJ began._

" _Can you walk?" Doc asked her._

" _I can walk." She nodded and the guard and Doc helped her to her feet and Tamina stood behind her._

" _What happened?" Tamina asked her. "Did you hit your head?"_

 _"No." AJ said keeping her head down as the fans applauded her. "My stomach really hurts."_

 _"AJ we need to get you right into the trainers office." Doc told her. "Your heart rate is really low."_

 _"I don't know it's really hot." She said to Doc._

" _It's ok." Doc assured her keeping her steady with an arm wrapped around her waist._

 _The second they were behind the curtain there were a ton of concerned faces, first face she saw was her boyfriends._

" _Ape." He announced rushing to her._

" _Give her some space." Doc told him._

 _"Fuck you." Punk snapped. "She told you she was feeling sick and you still cleared her to wrestle."_

 _"Phil it's ok." AJ sighed holding her stomach._

" _No it really isn't." Punk said glaring at the doc and he took AJ from him and decided to help her into the office himself._

" _Did you eat today?" Doc asked her._

" _A little but my stomach-" She trailed off._

" _Her stomach fucking hurts." Punk snapped at him and AJ tried not to laugh. "She told you this hours ago."_

" _I think we're going to send you to the hospital." Doc told her._

" _Right now? It's four hours too late." Punk said to him._

" _Phil." AJ pleaded._

" _I'm going with you." Punk told her._

" _You have a match." James, aka Road Dogg and now producer announced._

" _Fuck that." Punk laughed._

" _I can wait for your match to be over." AJ told him._

 _"No. You're going to the hospital immediately." James ordered her._

" _She's in a foreign country, I'm not sending her off to the hospital by herself." Punk told them._

" _I'm sending security with her." James told him and Punk shook his head._

" _I'll be ok." She told Punk. "Just go and have your match."_

" _I'll have a car take you to the hospital right after." James promised._

" _I really don't think I even need the hospital." AJ told them but she went ignored._

 _The three men argued with each other while AJ sat in a chair and watched._

" _I'm not going to the hospital." AJ told them standing up and almost fell right back down but Punk gabbed her quickly._

" _You're going on." Punk told her helping her back into her chair. "I'm going on in a few minutes can you just wait? I really don't want here there alone."_

 _"Fine." James bit out._

" _I'll be fast, just sit here and wait for me." Punk said to AJ and kissed the top of her head._

* * *

 _Punk finished as fast as he could and before AJ knew it she was in the hospital. She was given an extensive look over and Punk waited next to her in the ER as they waited for her results._

" _Look at this, WWE said you fainted due to dehydration." Punk scoffed. "They don't even know for sure."_

 _"Dehydration is part of the problem." The doctor announced walking over to them._

" _She hasn't been eating because her stomach hurts." Punk defended and AJ had to smile, he would just defend her for anything against anybody- even a doctor who knew better._

" _Yes and she does have an ulcer." The doctor told him. "I'm going to give you some antibiotics and if that doesn't help please see your personal physician. And eat!" he ordered._

" _How can she eat when she's still in pain?" Punk asked annoyed._

" _It's fine, I'll force it down." AJ told the doctor kindly. "Thank you so much."_

" _Someone will be around with the paperwork to sign you out." He told her. "Take care."_

 _"Fucking useless." Punk groaned._

 _"Keep snapping and my ulcer will get worse." She warned him._

 _"It's just pointless." Punk argued. "I need you not to be in pain."_

 _"I got medicine, I'll be ok." She told him and he just shook his head. "You were right tonight, I shouldn't have wrestled tonight."_

 _"You can take a night off once in a while." Punk encouraged._

" _You don't know what it's like to be a woman here." AJ insisted. "All it takes is a few missed shows to be old news."_

 _"That's not true and definitely not in your case." He said to her. "You need to put yourself first. If you're feeling sick you tell somebody."  
_

 _"I did." She reminded him._

 _"Somebody who isn't a fucking idiot." He clarified._

" _I'll be fine." She said to him with ease. "One more show and then we'll be traveling back home. Thank you for coming with me tonight."_

 _"I have to make sure you're in proper hands." He said to her with a smile._

* * *

"Feeling better?" Punk asked as AJ he walked into their bedroom with a hot bowl of soup in his hands.

"I ate something bad." She sighed.

"Are you sure it's not an ulcer?" He asked her.

"No this is food poisoning or something." she said to him.

"Here, try to eat this." He said passing her the soup.

"Thank you." She said gratefully accepting it. "Smells good."

"It's your favorite." he told her and felt her head. "You're warm. It's probably the flu."

"You always take care of me when I'm sick." She said blowing on the hot soup.

"You do the same." He noted.

"I don't have much of a choice." She almost laughed. "You're such a baby when you're hurt or sick."

"I am." He agreed honestly.

"I want to get better quick before our road trip." She said to him.

"We have all of the time in the world, will hold it off a few more days until I'm positive you won't get sick in the car." He said to her. "I don't want to clean up after you and Larry."

"Fair." She agreed.

* * *

" _Are you ready?" AJ asked leaning over Punk who was laying in a hospital bed._

" _Yea, guess I don't really have a choice." he muttered child like._

" _Just remember as soon as this is over you can get back to training." AJ reminded him hopefully as he waited to be bought in for his back surgery._

" _If it goes ok." He said to her. "I just got an opponent-"_

 _"And if you have any chance in winning you need this surgery." She reminded him. "After training sometimes you can't even drive home. You need this."_

 _"I may need it but I don't want it." Punk told her._

" _You're going to feel better and that's the most important. This just pushes things back some, it doesn't end it." She told him. "And I'm going to take care of you."_

" _Yea?" He asked arching a curious brow._

" _Sponge baths." She told him and he nodded._

 _"I like the sound of that. I probably won't be able to stand in the shower, sponge bath is definitely in order." Punk agreed fully._

" _I'll cook your favorite food. Including those cookies you love." She told him._

 _"I'll need all the energy I can get so the cookies are must." he had to agree again._

 _"I'll help you in and out of bed and massage your back." She told him._

" _That's definitely going to help me." He agreed. "I'll need to lay around for at least the first week especially since we're going to Tennessee a week after and I'll need you laying around with me."_

 _"Why is that?" She asked trying not to laugh._

 _"It will keep me there." He said as if she was stupid. "Duh. I'm not getting up if you're laying next to me or on me."_

 _"Not on you." She warned him and he rolled his eyes. "But I can see us having some movie marathons. Larry is going to be just devastated though, he loves you on the floor playing with him."_

 _"You'll have to take over that duty." Punk said to her._

" _I think I can handle it. Walking him too." She told him._

" _You're going to have to not let him walk you." Punk warned her. "But that's only for the first couple of days."_

" _It's for the first week." She remarked. "Unless you're still not feeling good, if so I'll take over for good."_

" _You ok?" He asked noticing how pale she was._

" _Yea of course. I'm just anxious for you to get this over with." She told him._

 _"It's going to be fine. It's simple surgery." He reminded her. "Don't worry about me to the point where you make yourself sick."_

 _"I won't but if I do at least I'm already in a hospital." She teased. "I'm thinking of coming back tonight and sleeping here."_

 _"You will not." he told her and she frowned. "You're not sleeping in a small chair all night. You'll go home and sleep in our bed with Larry."_

 _"I don't like being home without you." She pouted._

" _It'll be fine." He said to her. "Even though you packed up enough stuff for yourself to camp out here for a month."_

 _"Trying to occupy my mind." She said to him and he smiled._

" _We're to take him." A nurse announced._

 _"I love you." she whispered and leaned over and kissed his lips._

" _I'll keep you updated." The doctor assured AJ who just nodded._

" _Take care of him." AJ warned the doctor._

" _Don't mess with her." Punk warned the doctor as they wheeled his bed out of the room. "She's fucking crazy."_

 _"I am." AJ agreed and the Doctor tried not to laugh._

" _Don't worry Mrs. Brooks." He said to her kindly._


	13. On The Road

**On The Road**

* * *

" _I want you off of my tour." AJ demanded the second Punk opened his hotel door and she stomped inside with balled fists._

" _What are you talking about?" He asked innocently closing the door and turned to watch as she paced._

" _Why are you working with me, Nick and E?" She asked. "Who came up with that?"_

 _"I'm assuming the writers." Punk shrugged tugging his hands into his pockets. "Why do you want me gone so bad?"_

 _"I can't stand to look at you that's why!" She yelled he snickered. "You said horrible things to me-"_

 _"You said even worse to me." Punk replied calmly._

" _I heard you asked to work with us." She pointed out. "This was supposed to be E's time to practice in the ring-"_

 _"I'm the champ, you all should be grateful." Punk remarked._

" _I'm not grateful. I'm pissed off! You didn't want to work with me! You went to creative and told them to end us working together and now you're forcing yourself into my new story and into my relationship?" she questioned in disbelief. "Just leave me alone."_

 _"I'm not forcing myself into your relationship, I have my own relationship." Punk shrugged._

" _Where is Amy?" AJ asked looking around the empty room._

" _She's home this week." Punk said simply._

" _I don't need you." AJ warned him._

" _I think you do. And I'm sorry that you and your boyfriend are so insecure and are so threatened by me but I'm going to keep working with you three." Punk informed her._

" _I'm fine." She said to him._

" _He's no good for you." Punk told her stepping closer._

" _You're no good for me. You don't want me." She told him losing her resolve._

" _Maybe not physically but I care about you." Punk pointed out. "You're all alone here, you need me in your corner."_

 _"You're right." She agreed. "I did need you and threw me to the side the second Amy told you to. Nick helped me-"_

 _"He took advantage of you." Punk corrected. "And you let him."_

 _"I didn't have anyone else!" She yelled._

" _I blame myself. So I'm trying to right that wrong." He told her simply._

" _I don't need you." She remarked coldly. "I don't want you, I don't need you, I don't want to see your face, I don't want to watch you wrestle, I don't want to travel with you!" She yelled poking his chest._

" _Stop." He hushed grabbing her hand and kissing the top of it. "This isn't you."_

 _"Maybe it's you who wants me." She said to him and he smirked. "That's why you're on this tour."_

 _"We have a connection." Punk pointed out. "But I have a girlfriend."_

 _"Yet here you are." She remarked. "I have to go see Nick." she said and he laughed._

" _He's never going to fill that void." Punk warned her just short of her opening the door and she turned around to look at him._

" _He fills me just fine." AJ shot at him and Punk face dropped. "You can't stand the fact that he touches me all night and does it ten times better than you ever did."_

 _"You're just trying to piss me off." Punk said forcing a smile._

" _He's bigger, stronger, selfless-" She numbered off._

 _"You have that passion?" he asked curiously walking over to her. "When it's over does he roll out of the bed and clean himself off or does he kiss behind your ear until you fall asleep like I did? I know that's your favorite."_

" _Stop it." AJ whispered harshly._

" _Does he get himself off and leave you wanting more? Does he-" Punk was cut off by AJ again._

" _I said stop!" She yelled._

 _"He's not a good guy and he's not a good lover." Punk laughed. "You can do better. Remember the first time we were together?" he asked tucking her hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek gingerly. "I told you nobody was good enough for you here including me."_

" _I can't concentrate with you here." She told him honestly looking at him with tears in her eyes. "I can't focus on my job, I can't focus on my relationship."_

 _"That's not a relationship." Punk informed her softly still cupping her cheek gently, running his thumb over where tears ran down. "I'll get you out of that story, I'll get you away from him."_

 _"Phil." She whispered._

 _"Let me help you." He encouraged._

 _AJ lifted her head and kissed his lips, she didn't know why but it felt right. Thankfully Punk kissed her back, cupping her face now and walking her backwards to one of the double beds in the room. The back of her knees hit the side of the bed as his mouth continued to devour her. AJ wanted to stop him and tell him to remember Amy, Punk wanted to pull away and remember his girlfriend sitting at home waiting for him but he didn't._

 _AJ was on the bed before either knew it and clothes were flying everywhere. Punk's expert fingers were inside of her first while his mouth sucked on her neck and she wriggled under his touch. She gasped and moaned as his mouth moved south and captured her hot core directly. She wanted to thrash around the bed but his hands were at her hips keeping her planted. He was selfless in bed and the emotional connection just made it all that much better._

 _Punk's hands moved up her torso while his tongue and teeth teased her and he cupped her breasts. He was consuming her all over and it was only the beginning. The grand final was still to come. Her hands moved over his large ones that were kneading her breasts. She wanted to lay like this forever with him. Her stomach felt like it was on fire when she finally came and he devoured every drop he forced from her body before being satisfied enough to move on._

" _You ok?" he asked her as he lay across her body._

 _"Take me." She whispered as she cupped his face and kissed him._

 _Punk slid into her moist body and rocked slowly at first but his body missed hers so much. He sat up on his knees and moved into her as she lay flat on her back with her legs spread wide for him. He couldn't help but grin as her eyes shut tightly and smile grew. He knew she was lying when she told him Nick was better. Nobody was better, and it wasn't just an ego thing, nobody was better to him than her either._

" _Phil." She moaned opening her eyes slowly and licked her lips, he knew what she wanted._

 _Punk dropped back over her body so it was smothering hers while his hips still flexed into her want and kissed her hungrily. Both had significant others, both didn't care. He filled her not just physically but emotionally for two hours this evening. She lost herself countless times tonight and Punk managed to keep going, he promised himself this would be the last time so he wanted to make it count...or so he thought._

" _That's it baby." He cooed against her._

 _Positions moved and changed all night. She was now on her stomach and he was on top of her. His hands were under her body gripping her nipples and teasing them while he pushed into her from the back._

" _One more time for me." He begged. "You can do it." he encouraged kissing her cheek._

" _Oh my god." She cried feeling her body release at the same time he poured his seed into her._

" _That's my girl." He whispered staying on top of her as he still released. "Fuck Ape." he groaned into her ear._

 _Both were covered in sweat and unable to move, that was until the door swung open._

" _Hey I got-" Big E was crashing with Punk since AJ and Nick wanted privacy in their room. His eyes nearly popped out of his head upon seeing the two and before either could explain he stepped out of the room and closed the door quickly._

" _Oh my god." AJ almost cried as Punk pulled out of her and rolled next to her on the bed laying on his back._

" _I forgot he was crashing with me." Punk groaned running his hand over his face._

" _So this wasn't some sort of a plan?" she asked annoyed sitting up and reaching for her bra that was on the floor._

" _A plan?" He asked in disbelief. "I didn't invite you here. I also didn't initiate it and in case you have forgotten I'm in a relationship."_

 _"So am I Phil!" She yelled getting off of the bed._

" _My relationship is actually legitimate." he mocked._

 _"So is mine!" She cried out holding her jeans but was still nude from the waist down. "I can't find my underwear."_

" _E won't say anything." Punk assured her._

" _E and Nick are really close." AJ told him._

" _E doesn't like you with Nick." Punk informed her. "He said Nick isn't good to you."_

 _"He does not." AJ said in shock._

" _E hangs with me on these tours, not you and Nick- we talk." Punk reminded her. "He sees what we all see, he won't say anything."_

" _If you find my underwear-" She began as she roughly put on her jeans._

" _I'll give them back." He said to her._

" _Burn them." She corrected. "And stay the hell out of my way." She warned him before storming out of the room._

" _She came in here and kissed me." Punk mumbled under his breath but he couldn't hide his grin, he just had the most amazing sex he could remember._

* * *

 _AJ found Big E downstairs at the restaurant bar with a few of the guys. Her hair was still a mess and her shirt was inside out but she had to talk to him._

" _E." She approached out of breath._

" _You ok AJ?" Zack Ryder asked noting her appearance._

 _"Yea I just need to talk to E." She said and the few guys excused themselves._

 _"AJ-" E started._

" _Please don't tell Nick." She begged._

 _"I wouldn't do that to you." E assured her and AJ felt relief._

" _That was a one time thing- a mistake- something I'll never repeat." She assured him._

 _"What you do is your business." E said to her. "I wouldn't rat on you and Punk. I like you both too much."_

" _I know you and Nick are friends." AJ noted._

" _Friendly, friends is a strong word." E smirked. "Like I said, it's not my business."_

 _"Thank you." She said relieved. "You won't tell anyone?"_

 _"And piss off the champ? Never." E laughed. "Are you ok though?"_

 _"Me?" She asked and he nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"_

 _"You just seem off." E noted sadly. "If Nick doesn't make you happy-"_

 _"He makes me very happy." AJ defended. "I'm the happiest I've ever been."_

 _"Yea? Is that why you were getting humped by Punk less than ten minutes ago?" E asked curiously._

" _It was a mistake." She whispered feeling shame._

" _A mistake is sometimes a kiss, not taking your clothes off and having sex." E whispered. "If Nick isn't making you smile, stop wasting your time."_

 _"Phil is with Amy." AJ told him._

 _"He makes you happy?" E asked and she nodded sadly and E pulled her into the bar stool next to hers._

" _I don't know what it is about him." She sniffled. "I just feel safe and happy and it's not ok but I can't help it."  
"He broke your heart." E noted and she just nodded. "I get that, I really do. It hurts but being with Nick isn't bring you anything."  
"I'm not alone." She admitted and E frowned.  
"Sometimes that's exactly what you need." E noted feeling bad that she felt she needed somebody. _

" _I don't have my family, I don't have friends-" She trailed off._

" _You have me." E offered. "I'm your friend."_

* * *

AJ was up early in the morning and found Punk in the gym working out.

"Feeling better?" He asked and she nodded happily. "Want to go get breakfast?"

"Yes." She grinned.

"Ryder and Emma are in town and he called me and wanted to get lunch but I wasn't sure how you were feeling." He said to her.

"Let's do it." she told him. "I miss some of them sometimes."

"Alright." He said to her and then eyed her up oddly as she watched him do his pull-ups on the bar. "Yes, dear?" He teased.

"You just look really good doing that." She noted innocently.

"Want me to move breakfast to lunch?" He asked her and she nodded.

"But I don't want to interrupt your workout." She said biting on her bottom lip.

"You can interrupt me anytime." Punk said dropping down onto the floor and grabbed his phone. "I'll tell them we'll meet in a few hours for lunch."

"Good." She said giving him a sly smile as she watched her shirtless husband stalk over to her. "I had the most wonderful dream last night." She told him wrapping her arms around his neck as he grabbed her by the ass so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

"Yea?" he asked nipping her lips teasingly.

"It was that night we were together on the road." She told him and he chuckled.

"You have to be a tad more specific sweetheart." He grinned pushing her against the wall and pressing his body into hers.

"The night E walked in on us." She told him.

"Oh god." he groaned. "I couldn't stop with you that night." He remembered. "I could have gone a few more rounds if you hadn't run out." his lips were now sucking at her jawline gently.

"You're hard already." She whispered feeling his want press into her.

"It doesn't take much of just seeing you." He reminded her smugly and pulled her shirt over her head.


	14. Birthday Nerves

**Birthday Nerves**

* * *

 _Punk was parked outside a Tampa restaurant nervously tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. AJ had arrived inside a few minutes ago and he was supposed to be surprising her. Her brother and sister were taking her out to dinner and they coordinated with Punk who had told AJ he would be in LA for work. It wasn't the dinner he was worried about it even though it was the first time he would be meeting her brother, it was the ring in his pocket. He had no intention of proposing at the dinner but after back home. He was still nervous as hell, it wasn't cold feet but fear of her turning him down._

 _Another five minutes Punk had built up the courage to get out of the car and ran his hand over his face before entering the restaurant. He told the host the name and he lead them to a back table and AJ's back was to him. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she jerked her head behind angrily before realizing it was Punk._

" _Phil." She gasped genuinely surprised and jumped out of her seat._

" _Hi." He grinned leaning down and kissing her lips. "Happy Birthday."_

" _It is now." She smiled wide._

 _Punk introduced himself to AJ's brother who like her father, loved Punk. The dinner was filled with embarrassing stories of AJ as a child and teen and Punk couldn't get enough of it. He was surprised how he well they all got along and it really helped relax him and take his mind off of the huge diamond weighing down his pocket._

" _Tell me more about how April used to dress up her dogs." Punk encouraged._

" _I can really make you laugh and tell you the story about how when she was five she tried to kidnap the neighbors dog." Robbie told him and AJ glared at him._

" _No more April stories." AJ warned him. "From you either." She warned her sister._

" _These are all wonderful stories." Punk grinned._

" _What happened with LA?" AJ asked him._

 _"I was never going to LA, you thought I'd miss your birthday?" He asked her amused._

" _Work comes first." She told him._

" _No." He told her shaking his head. "You do."_

" _That's so sweet." AJ's sister smiled._

" _How long are you staying for?" AJ asked ignoring her sister. "You know I have to be at a red carpet event for that movie on Sunday."_

 _"I'll be here until you leave." He told her. "All two days."_

 _"Good." she felt relieved. "I've missed you this last week."_

" _That will change soon." Robbie noted. "When are you moving to Chicago?"_

 _"A few weeks." AJ told him. "Week before Mania my lease is up. I still have so much packing to do." She said looking towards her sister._

 _"I've been there packing for days." Erica groaned. "You're welcome by the way."_

 _"Moving in is a big step." Robbie noted looking at Punk, this time more serious._

" _It is but we spend every weekend we can together anyway. AJ is going to continue to work and I want to see her more."_

" _Are you going back to work?" Robbie asked._

" _Robbie." AJ hissed._

 _"No it's fine. You're his sister and you're moving in with me and his concerns are valid." Punk told AJ. "Not to WWE. I think that has run it's course. I have other ideas and things lined up including writing for Marvel."_

" _That's cool." Robbie noted but didn't seen convinced. "I'm just worried about my sister." he told Punk honestly and AJ was mortified. "Working in WWE is not going to be easy for her and I don't want you to resent her or talk her out of her dream."_

 _"Phil is very supportive." AJ told Robbie._

" _April can do whatever she wants as long as she's not hurting herself." Punk told Robbie. "I know you're worried but on my end, there's no hostility or resent on my end. I just want April happy and I know wrestling makes her that way."_

 _"It's not just wrestling anymore." AJ told her brother. "Phil makes me happy too."_

 _"I know I just don't want to see you lose your job and your home for a boyfriend." Robbie defended and the comment did sting Punk a bit._

" _You are being rude." AJ warned her brother._

 _"I get it." Punk said brushing off the comment. "April isn't just a girlfriend. I wouldn't be moving her into my home if I wasn't in this for the long haul. I want to see your sister accomplish all of her goals and work. I just want her closer to me while she does so I can still be along for the ride."_

 _"Satisfied?" AJ asked her brother mockingly._

" _Yes." Robbie grinned. "That's all I wanted to know."_

* * *

 _Punk walked AJ to his car and once he got in she turned and looked at him._

 _"I'm sorry about Robbie." She said to him._

 _"I understand his concerns. I'm a big brother too you know." Punk reminded her starting the car._

" _It wasn't his place." She told him shaking her head._

" _Yea it is, he's your brother and I'm just some guy who is taking his sister out of her element and causing her to have a hard time at her dream job." He told her._

" _That's not true. Almost everybody has been really nice." She told him and he scuffed. "It's true. And I'm not out of my element if I'm with you. My sister is moving in with her girlfriend I'd be alone out here."_

 _"Yea I didn't like that." Punk said as he began to drive._

" _So where's my present?" She asked anxiously and he laughed._

" _I have a few things for you but they're in the trunk." He told her and she pouted. "You're such an infant when it comes to gifts." He laughed._

" _You can't show up at somebody's birthday empty handed." She reminded him._

" _I am the present." He grinned._

" _Oh I like the sounds of that." AJ grinned. "I can't wait to unwrap you." She smiled running her hand down his chest and he grabbed her hand with one free one while his other hand stayed on the wheel. "You're turning me down?" She asked amused._

" _I'm driving." he defended lightly._

" _We could pull over." She smirked and he bit on his bottom lip and groaned. "You always said that was a fantasy. Pulling over or me blowing-"_

 _"Enough." He demanded cutting her off._

" _I hope you didn't come all of this way to dump me." She frowned. "I'd have nowhere to live." She teased._

" _Dump you? After I spent all that time convincing your brother that I'm good enough for you?" Punk smirked._

" _Why are you turning me down?" She frowned._

 _"Trust me sweetheart, we're going to fuck tonight." He warned her. "All night as a matter of fact because I've missed you just as much and you're wearing this beautiful dress that I just want to remove with my teeth...and it's your birthday so you're definitely getting me tonight."_

 _"So what's going on?" She asked as Punk pulled into the parking lot of a closed beach. "What are we doing here."_

 _"I want to go for a walk." He said taking his seat belt off and turning off the car._

 _"Its cold." She frowned._

" _It's 70 degrees." He laughed. "I don't know how you're going to survive Chicago if you think 70 is cold."_

 _"Alright." She said climbing out of the car and Punk removed his dress jacket and placed it around AJ's shoulders then took her hand into his and walked her towards the dark beach._

" _I'm really happy you surprised me tonight." She said to him happily looking up at him._

" _I'm full of surprises." Punk warned her._

" _Are you sure you're alright? You just seem quiet tonight." She frowned. "Something happen?"_

 _"Nope." He said to her. "How's the road?"_

 _"Lonely." She admitted. "I miss you as my buddy."_

 _"I know." He mumbled. "And everyone really is treating you alright?"_

 _"Yea. I mean Nick hates me." She smirked._

" _Fuck him." Punk scoffed. "Has he tried anything with you?"_

" _No." She told him. "I'm a ghost there. I show up, go in the ring and go home."_

 _"I'm sorry." He frowned. "That's not what I wanted."_

" _I know and it's not your problem don't worry about it." She assured him._

 _"I do worry about it." he told her as they walked alone the shore line. "I worry about it because it affects you and in turn it affects me. Are you happy there?"_

 _"Sometimes." She shrugged. "When I'm in the ring and people are cheering for me I'm happy. When I get backstage I'm not as happy."_

" _I want you happy all of the time. That's kind of become my goal." he told her._

" _I'm happy when I see you and I'm going to be happier when I get to come home to you every night." She told him with a genuine excited smile._

" _Good." He said relieved. "I wanted to make sure you had no regrets."_

 _"Only that we wasted so much time." She admitted and nodded in agreement._

" _I feel the same way." He agreed. "It was stupid for me to push you away. You've been the answer all along."_

 _"The answer to what?" she asked curiously._

" _Everything." Punk said seriously. "I mean you're making my house a home, you're making it ours." he told her._

" _You'll think of it as ours?" She asked._

" _Of course." He told her. "You're not a house guest, you're my partner."_

 _"Your lover." She added teasingly._

" _Always my lover." He smirked. "But I want you have a different title."_

 _"Have you come up with anything else?" she teased._

 _"Yea, one or two." He said stopping and reaching into his pocket while dropping to his knees. "How does fiancee and wife sound?" he asked opening the box._

" _Oh my god." She gasped placing her hands over her mouth._

 _"April, I love you and I want you in my life for the rest of it. I want to be as happy as I've been these last few months forever. I want you to be more than a roommate, I want you to be my wife." He told her as he held back tears and presented the ring._

 _"You said you'd never get married." She reminded him quickly._

" _This is the moment you choose to throw something back in my face?" He asked amused. "I didn't have you in my life the way I do. I bought this ring three months ago Ape. I knew I was doing this I just hadn't found the right time. Marry me?"_

 _"Yes!" She cheered and he stood up and she kissed him._

 _He took the ring out of the velvet box and slid it onto her slender finger._

" _Is it too big?" He frowned noticing the ring swung around her finger. "I got your size from your sister."_

 _"I lost a little weight, no big deal. We can size it, right?" She asked anxiously._

" _Of course." He said still disappointed it didn't fit perfectly. "Do you like it?"_

 _"It's absolutely perfect." She said crying as she looked at the large diamond._

* * *

"What are you doing?" Punk asked finding AJ in their bedroom looking at a book on their bed.

"Looking at our wedding pictures." She smiled. "Sometimes I just like to look at them."

"Best night ever." He grinned falling onto the bed stomach first.

"I was remembering when you proposed." She smiled. "Best Birthday ever."

"You thought I was going to dump you." he scoffed.

"You really had that ring for months?" She asked and he nodded. "Why did you wait so long? Second thoughts?"

"No. But I was so sick when I left and we had that tribute to the troops debacle and it took me a while to get back on my feet, around March I felt great. I didn't want you to say yes when I felt like half a man." he admitted.

"You were never half a man." She told him.

"You took such good care of me." he remembered. "Saved my life, my hero."

"My doctor did that." she smirked.

"You bought me there." he told her. "I was stubborn."

"You usually are." She teased. "Still no regrets?"

"I'd be dead without you." He told her honestly. "And not just from the infection. I'd never make it through all of this without you. I'm not lying when I tell people you're my best teammate."


	15. Payback

**Payback**

* * *

 _Punk wasn't excited to be back at Payback. Sure, being in Chicago for his return was a great vibe but he wanted more time. He didn't want to be back until SummerSlam, but here he was getting ready to face off with Jericho. A match that only Paul had hyped and he showed on interest in. Besides dreading returning to the ring, he was dreading seeing April. His sweet, not so innocent April...he hadn't seen her spoken to her since the night he announced he was leaving. They spent the night in a cheap motel room but there was nothing cheap about it and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He dreamed about it at night, he pictured her when with his girlfriend- who he was picking fights with constantly. He wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself upon seeing her again._

 _Since he wasn't sure what his or even worse, her reaction would be he avoided her the entire night. She was working a match then working with Ziggler (he couldn't believe that was still going on) and watched both matches closely but from the confides of his private locker room._

" _If you lean back you won't drool as much." Amy said to Punk as she watched the Divas's match herself._

" _I wasn't drooling." Punk defended not taking his eyes off the screen._

" _Do I have to worry about leaving to fly home after your match?" Amy asked him seriously. She was leaving straight after his match to make it home for a friend's wedding the next morning._

" _If you don't trust me why are you even here?" he asked keeping his eyes on AJ's match._

" _You cheated on me with her." Amy pointed out._

" _That was like a year ago." he scoffed._

 _"I saw the fan sightings from the last UK tour and live events I didn't make, you were with her." Amy said to him._

" _False." Punk lied with ease watching as Celeste ripped AJ's belt off of her waist and the brief glimpse of what was under her shorts caused him to grin._

" _You're disgusting." Amy said to him._

 _"Would you relax? I haven't seen or spoken to her in weeks." Punk told his girlfriend._

" _I bet you can't wait to catch up." Amy remarked._

" _I told you I wouldn't. You can choose to believe it or not." He snapped now glaring at her. "How's Kirk from your band by the way?" he shot at her then looked back at the screen._

" _You said you wanted us to work." Amy reminded him. "We promised no more outside distractions."_

 _"I know and I meant it." Punk said to her._

 _"I want to move past her, past him and on with each other." She pleaded. "I want to settle down. I want to live together and get married."_

 _"Woah." Punk chuckled. "You know the deal, I don't do marriage."_

" _I know that's what you said years ago and were younger but it never pops into your mind?" Amy asked._

" _No." He told her honestly. "I haven't changed and if that's what you're expecting you're going to be disappointed. You told me you never wanted marriage either." He pointed out._

" _I've grown up Phil." Amy sighed._

" _I can't give you that." He told her._

" _Sure you can, you just don't want to." Amy pointed out._

" _It's just not for me." Punk told her almost sadly._

" _Why can't we live together?" she asked him._

" _Because you don't want to leave Atlanta and I'm not leaving Chicago." Punk reminded her._

" _I spend all of my time with you and Chicago, I might as well just bring the rest of my stuff." Amy suggested and Punk's body froze, this is not what he wanted. "What? You don't want to live with me either? You are aware we practically live together?"_

" _Yea I know." He agreed softly. There really wasn't any reason to not have her live with him, no reason to not ask her._

" _What do you say?" She asked hopefully. "Let's put all of this AJ and Kirk shit behind us and start over fresh, live together. This way we can keep a better eye on each other."_

 _"I don't want to live with you to watch you like a hawk and I don't want to be watched like that." He told her. "That's not a reason to live together that's a reason to break up."_

 _"I don't want that." Amy said to him. "I just thinking living together is a healthy step. We're in a rut."_

 _"We'll talk about it." Punk promised her and she smiled.  
"Promise?" she asked. _

" _Yea of course." He said plastering on a smile._

* * *

 _After his match he walked Amy to her car and kissed her goodbye so she could head to the airport. When he walked back into the arena to begin packing up to head home for the night he caught AJ walking out of the media room where she was taking pictures with her new title._

" _Hey." He greeted awkwardly._

" _Hi." She said with a genuinely happy smile. He felt at ease and smiled sensing she was the 'old' AJ again._

" _I saw your match, congratulations." He smirked tapping her title that was proudly nestled over her shoulder._

" _Isn't it pretty?" She asked proudly running her hand over it._

" _As pretty as the owner." Punk replied with a smirk._

" _How was your time off?" She asked kindly._

" _It was nice to be away." He admitted. "Wish it was longer."_

 _"Well, I'm glad you're back." She shrugged._

" _You seem better." He noted and she narrowed her eyes at him and he had to laugh. "I just mean happier."_

 _"Oh. Yea." She said to him. "I've just been at ease."_

 _"I'm glad me being away helped you." He teased._

" _It wasn't you, well it wasn't just you." She said to him. "Nick was out for a few weeks with a concussion. I just felt like I could breathe and focus on work."_

 _"Oh, that's right." Punk nodded. "How's that going?"_

 _"I liked my alone time." She told him. "I needed it and I still do. Nick just has to understand that."_

" _Good for you." Punk said trying not to sound too thrilled._

" _I think they're going to take me out of his story, at least that's what I'm trying." She said to him. "I just can't be me with him."_

 _"You talk to Vince?" Punk asked._

" _No." AJ laughed. "He doesn't just take personal meetings with me. How's Amy? I saw her earlier but I didn't get to say hi." she tried not to laugh but she was trying to sound polite._

" _I think that's for the best." He teased. "I'm really glad to see how happy you are."_

" _I was angry at you and I took it out on myself." She admitted. "I'm not angry and you being away just reminded me of how much I missed you and we were stupid those last few months but I don't want to lose you forever over it. I want my friend back."_

 _"You have him." Punk assured her and she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist and rest her cheek against his chest to hug him. Punk didn't hesitate when he hugged her back tightly. "I missed you too." He told her and kissed the top of her head. "So, do you have time to catch up?"_

 _"I really don't." She told him pulling away. "I have a hundred things to do before I leave but if you need a ride to the next town I've got my own rental."_

" _I'm staying here tonight, you should too." He told her and she narrowed her eyes at him causing him to laugh. "All innocent. I have five bedrooms. We can just talk, drink coffee and watch TV- like we used to do before it all got complicated."_

 _"Ok." She said to him and he took her cell phone out of her hand._

" _That's my address, or I can wait and you can follow me back." He offered._

" _No I'll be late." she told him. "But I'll be there."_

 _"I'll see you soon." He smiled and she walked away skipping._

* * *

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened had I not taken you up on your offer the night of Payback?" She asked as she sat next to him in a tiny diner in Wicker Park.

"What a random thing to ask." He smirked pouring himself coffee. "Um, no. I think we'd both be here just like this. I always kind of felt bad inviting you that night."

"It wasn't fair to Amy." AJ agreed.

"Fuck that." he muttered. "She wasn't my concern anymore you were." He told her. "I thought you were doing so great and you were back to your old self that I wanted to be selfish and soak up all of that time with you not caring if I was the one unsettling you."

"It wasn't you." She noted.

"I didn't help. Nick and I battled over you and it nearly drove you crazy. You only had peace when we were both gone." He pointed out.

"I wasn't at peace, I missed you too much." She argued. "It was him. He bought out this dark piece of me. Even though it's not really fair to blame him for a medical problem."

"He exploited it." Punk reminded her angrily. "Piece of shit." he mumbled under his breath as he sipped his coffee.

"I was so excited you invited me back to your place." She admitted. "It felt like old times and that night when we..."

"We didn't have sex." He reminded her. "I never had sex with you. I was in a relationship."

"You never took your pants off but I had sex." She smirked and the waiter walking by eyed on them.

"Can I help you?" Punk snapped and the man scurried off.

"How embarrassing." AJ laughed but was still mortified. "It was a great night for me anyway." She remarked happily pouring syrup onto her pancakes.

"Do you think not getting you off doesn't make me feel great?" he asked with a laugh. "That all it takes is my expert hands and mouth to do you in?"

"You really didn't consider that cheating on Amy?" AJ asked him.

"At the time it was the way I defended it to myself." Punk admitted. "I sucked when it came it to her. I didn't want to live with her, I wanted a way out but I didn't want to be the one to hurt her, you know?"

"You cheated that night." She said bluntly and he rolled his eyes. "I don't feel much better about it. I knew you had a girlfriend."

"I initiated it." He reminded her bitterly and angry with himself.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't have said no." She told him. "We both fucked up."

"I wouldn't call it a fuck up..." He trailed off.

"Phil your fingers were inside of me-" she began and he shushed her and looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"Obviously there was sexual activity that evening." He whispered. "I just meant we didn't fuck up because I didn't regret it even though I knew I was being horrible to Amy."

"Why didn't you want to live with Amy but with me you asked me four months into our relationship?" She questioned curiously.

"Uh, it was kind of a no brainer." He shrugged trying to remember what really triggered it. "I hated flying to Tampa, I hated being in my house without you, I hated only seeing you two days every other week once I left the company." he trailed off. "I wanted to be with you constantly, I still do."

"But not Amy?" she asked.

"She suffocated me." He cringed. "And it wasn't even just that she wanted to live together to watch me. You agreed to live with me because you wanted to be with me."

"I wanted to build a life with you." She added.

"It just you two weren't the same. She needed me but I needed you if that makes sense." he said to her.

"I get it." She nodded. "So, that night you asked me back to your place was because you saw the old me?"

"Let me be perfectly clear." He began and cleared his throat. "I love all parts of you, the good, the bad, the scary, the sad, the happy, the angry- all of it. Sometimes I don't like it but I always love you."

* * *

" _Phil." AJ moaned._

 _They were laying on the couch while Batman played loudly on the TV. AJ had on a skull dress that was pulled over her waist as she was curled into his buddy facing him. Her left breast was exposed and his mouth was sucking on her nipple while his fingers penetrated her two entrances below. He was slow sensual and she was on cloud nine._

 _Sure at times they'd be rough and ripping each other apart but they also had nights like this where he was tender, gentle and loving. Her hips rocked into his touches and her eyes were shut tight as she tried to hold on. One minute they were watching TV and the next this is what happened, she wasn't sure how they got here but she was in pure bliss._

" _Phil." She moaned out again and his bit over her nipple and pulled onto it before removing his mouth off completely._

" _Hi." he greeted and she opened her beautiful lust filled eyes._

" _Hi." She said trying not to sound so out of breath while his fingers never slowed down. "This is wrong?"_

 _"Am I hurting you?" He asked concerned.  
_

 _"No. It's just not right." She reminded him. "I don't want to be the other woman."  
_

 _"You're not." he promised her and kissed her lips to silence her._

 _AJ just let him clear her mind and take her to another level. Their tongues weren't wrestling like usual, they were massaging each others. She could stay like this forever. This tender moment just topped off her already amazing night. It being wrong was now the furthest thing from her mind._

 _All he was fixated on was making her feel great. He missed her so much and he wanted to prove it. He wanted her to feel beautiful and good after months of hell with Nick. She deserved a night like this, a night that he had never given her and one that was long overdue. She deserved to feel like this and he wasn't going to let the guilt of his girlfriend stop him._

" _Oh my god." She cried out moving away from his lips as her slow build was about to boil over half an hour later. His mouth again moved over her nipple as she tightened around his fingers that continued to move against the friction._

" _That's my girl." he cooed feeling her orgasm against his hand. It was powerful and he didn't even have to be fully inside of her. His ego shot up ten points. "Good?" he asked kissing over her closed eyelids._

" _Yes." She groaned curling into his chest further, it was a little chilly and reached over the back of the couch and grabbed his Cubs blanket and threw it over them as he slowly removed his fingers. "I'm not tired." She told him. "I-"_

 _"You don't owe me anything." He told her as he slid one of his fingers into his mouth and sucked on it slightly. "You need to sleep."_

" _I think I should go actually." She yawned. "This was a bad idea. We can't be friends."  
"What?" he asked feeling hurt. _

" _We can't be friends." She repeated as she drifted off to sleep. "We can pretend all we want but we can't be left alone. We have the best intentions but it doesn't work for us. You're going to hurt Amy."_

" _That's my problem." he told her and kissed the top of her head before shifting her so he could get off of the couch. "I have to shower." he told her. He had a painful bulge in his pants that he had to take care of quickly._

" _I should go." she said too tired to sit up._

 _"It's 2 in the morning, you're not going anywhere." He ordered her and she smiled. "You can stay here or in one of the rooms, my room might be too dangerous."_

" _I understand." She said opening her eyes to look up at him and he wanted nothing more than to spread her on the couch until he poured into her._

 _"I really have to go shower." He said almost painfully and then practically ran up the stairs._

 _When Punk came back down stairs to check on her twenty minutes later, the couch was empty and there was a note on the table._

 _Lovebug,(a nickname he repeatedly asked her to stop using, even when they were just friends)_

 _I didn't want to torture your soul, I left and I'll be fine. Thank you for tonight. I will never forget it for as long as I live. And please don't beat yourself up, no matter what you're still the best man I have ever met._

 _Love,_

 _Ape_

* * *

 _The following weekend Amy was at his house and found the note. He left it carelessly on the coffee table and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes._

" _After the pay-per-view?" She asked holding up the note and Punk froze._

 _"Yea." He told her honestly._

" _What went on Phil?" Amy asked already knowing._

" _I didn't have sex with her." Punk defended quickly._

" _Why can't you get her out of her your system!" Amy yelled. "What is it about her? Why are you hell bent on throwing away years of us for a few nights with her?"_

 _"I'm not!" Punk yelled back then ran his hands over his buzzed head._

" _We're going to be living together." Amy sniffled._

 _"I don't think so." He told her and her face dropped which killed him a little._

" _You want me gone?" She asked stunned._

" _No!" he yelled. "I don't fucking no what I want! One minute we're fine and the next you're talking about living together-"_

 _"So your response to that is to invite AJ over?" Amy asked in disbelief. "We begin to talk about taking a huge step and you respond by fucking everything up?"_

 _"I don't know Amy. Maybe I need some me time." he told her and Amy couldn't believe it._

" _Me time?" She mocked. "What cosmo girl issue did you get that out of? If you want me gone Phil just say it-"_

 _"I don't." He told her quickly and tried to reach for her but she pulled away. "I just can't be tied down."_

 _"So what are you trying to say?" Amy asked him.  
_

 _"I need a little space to clear my head. I need to be me for a little before I decide to take this huge step like living together." Punk reasoned. "You get that don't you? Because once you're in here you're here for good."_

 _"If you have to think about it then it's not what you want." Amy said shaking her head._

" _This is going to be a huge commitment for me." He reminded her. "Please just be patient while I sort this all out?"_

 _"Fine." Amy said folding her arms "But if you think you're going to be the only one soul searching."_

 _"Oh, I get it." Punk chuckled. "You're going to go soul search with Kirk?"_

" _Oh fuck off." Amy laughed. "You're going to tell me you won't be 'searching' your precious little 'Ape'?" she asked mocking his nickname for her._

" _No I won't be." Punk told her and Amy rolled her eyes._

" _If you can search so can I. But I also planned on being at the next few events..." She trailed off._

" _I don't want to break up." He argued and he was now even confusing himself._

" _You want an open relationship?" She asked in disbelief. "What the hell do you take me for?"_

" _If you love me and want us to work you'll give this a shot for a little bit."_

 _"I really need to think about this." Amy said shaking her head._

" _It will be good for the both of us." He told her seriously. "We're adults, we can handle this."_

 _"Whatever you say, 'love bug'." She mocked and he glared at her._


	16. Don't Go Breaking My Heart

**A/N: Thank you for all of your awesome reviews!**

* * *

 **Don't Go Breaking My Heart**

* * *

 _SummerSlam was finally here and Punk and AJ just filmed a bowling episode of Nerdist with Kofi and Fandango. Amy would be flying in the next day so Punk wanted time with AJ tonight, but tonight it wasn't happening._

" _No." AJ told him almost painfully as she used her hands to push him off of her body._

 _They were in her hotel room after filming and ordered dinner up to the room. They ended up in her bed and before it got too far and they could remove anymore clothes she pushed him off of her body._

" _What's wrong?" he asked disappointed._

" _I can't do this anymore." She said getting off of the bed and adjusting her clothing._

" _Me? You can't do me anymore?" He asked stunned._

" _You're still with Amy." She reminded him._

" _We have an understanding." Punk pointed out._

" _You're sleeping with her and god knows who else." AJ argued._

 _"I'm not sleeping with anyone else." He told her._

" _You're not sleeping with Amy?" She asked and he felt embarrassed so he didn't say a word and AJ took it as an admission of guilt. "I don't want to do this anymore. I deserve better." she informed him and his face dropped, not from shock but from guilt- she was right. "I don't want to share you with her so as much as it pains me to lose you it hurts even more when you come home to her."_

 _"Ape-" he began._

" _I think you should go." She told him picking up his shoes and passed them to him._

" _You're right." Punk agreed getting off the bed. "You do deserve better."_

 _"Is that why you won't just be with me and only me? Because you think you can do better?" She asked him._

" _I think I've made that painfully clear. People don't last when they work together." Punk argued._

" _Brie and Brian do, John and Nikki, Trinity and Jay-" She trailed off._

" _You're comparing this to reality TV.'" Punk reminded her taking his shoes from her and began to put them on._

" _Or is it that you don't love me?" she asked him and he looked up at her._

" _You know I love you." He grunted. "That's why I can't be with you."_

 _"You're an idiot." She said with a laugh and he frowned. "Just go be with Amy, this isn't fair to her either. I'm sure she doesn't like sharing you anymore than I do."_

 _"Amy is having her own fun." Punk remarked._

" _I haven't been." She told him and he frowned. "It's been you and only you since you got back. I'm in a relationship with you but you're in a relationship with somebody else. It hurts me so much and I can't wake up one more morning with you gone. I hate when I see you with Amy and I hate seeing fan pictures of you two. It physically hurts my stomach."_

 _"I get it." He said standing up avoiding her eyes and walked right to the door._

" _I'm not mad at you." She assured him grabbing his wrist gently before he opened the door._

" _We can't be friends." Punk reminded her. "We tried that. So what you're saying is to just cut each other out for good."_

 _"I'd hate that but we have to start with that I guess." She said to him. "You have to be tired of running between both Amy and I. So just be with her and I'll decide for you."_

" _I don't want you to decide for me." He said to her. "I don't want you out of my life for good."_

" _Have a good match tomorrow." She said reaching up and kissing his cheek._

" _Ape-" he began._

" _Please just go." She smiled as tears fell from her eyes. "I can't be with only part of you, I need all of you. I love you too much to only get half."_

" _I didn't want to hurt you." He told her. "I swear that's the last thing I ever wanted."_

" _I know." She said putting on a brave smile._

 _Punk cupped her face and kissed her forehead tenderly then walked out the door without looking back at her. AJ felt her entire heart break and the minute he closed the door behind him she fell to her knees sobbed into her hands..._

* * *

 _At SummerSlam AJ was in catering when Nick moved to sit across from her._

" _Ready for tonight? It's the final chapter for us." Nick said to her._

" _Yea I'm ready." She said taking a bite out of her salad._

" _I bet you are." He grinned. "I know it was Punk who spoke to Vince on your behalf."_

 _"What are you talking about?" She asked._

" _You wanted out of this story with me because you weren't mature enough to work with your ex so you had your booty call run to Vince who told creative to end us." Nick said to her with a laugh. "That was low even for you. And I don't know what the fuck he said but creative doesn't have anything planned for me after this."_

 _"I didn't ask Phil to do that." AJ defended but couldn't help but smile to herself. It's the first time he went behind her back to do something that she wasn't mad about it._

" _He did it weeks ago." Nick informed her. "I only just found out after begging for a reason as to why me, you and E had to breakup onscreen even though we were hot."_

 _"I have my own story now." AJ said to him looking over to her title._

" _You're so fucking selfish." Nick whispered leaning over the table. "You think life is great? You have your title, you have your boy back- you do realize you're tainted right?"_

 _"Tainted?" She asked._

" _I saw Punk with Amy, know why? Because you had this crazy fucking breakdown last year and he knows you're batshit crazy. You let me taint thousands of times and whenever he's with you he thinks of that." he informed her and AJ was speechless. "That's why he won't settle for you. You blew it babe." he grinned leaning back in his chair._

" _Not that it's your business but I ended it with him." AJ informed Nick smugly who laughed._

" _He has a girlfriend, everyone knows him and Amy are going to end up together for good. I heard her talking about moving to Chicago just before. You were just a road fuck for him. It could have been more had you not have thrown yourself at me like a bitch in heat." Nick shot back at her.  
"You're tainted sweetheart, everyone talks about it, damaged goods."_

 _"You're disgusting." AJ hissed. "I've moved on from all of this and you can't stand to see me happy."_

 _"Be happy! But don't fuck with my career!" He yelled and she stood up suddenly and realized people had turned to look at her, including Punk and Amy who she hadn't realized entered the catering room._

 _Punk looked very concerned but AJ turned around and walked right out of the room without looking back. She was now humiliated but wouldn't let Nick bring her down like he had before._

" _Leave it alone." Amy warned Punk as Nick stood up now and walked over to grab food knowing Punk wanted to say something to him. "You told me it was over with her. Keep it that way."_

 _"Stop telling me what to fucking do." He snapped at her and then went back to eating._

* * *

 _Punk and Amy were back in Chicago and she went with him to get his new Blackhawks tattoo. He just didn't feel right at all. All he could think about was April, what was she doing? Was she happy? Was she back with Nick? Was she mad at him?_

" _Where has your head been all weekend?" Amy asked as they walked back into his house._

" _Just thinking." Punk shrugged tossing his keys on the counter._

" _Me too." Amy said to him. "So I know how you feel about me moving in here now that we're back to where we belong." she began. "You're not ready and I understand and respect that."_

 _"Thank you." He said relieved and he fell onto the couch._

" _So I was thinking of getting my own place out here." She told him and he eyed her as if she was crazy. "Kenz and I want to be with you more. You're not ready to have us in your home at least it will save me on travel expenses. I want this to work and I'm willing to make that sacrifice."_

 _"Sit." Punk insisted waving her over and she sat next to him on the couch. "I've been thinking about a lot of things."_

 _"Ok." She nodded slowly. "About us?"_

" _Yea." He mumbled. "Ames-"_

 _"You're dumping me." Amy laughed bitterly. "For her. Aren't you?"_

 _"It's not like that." Punk told her softly._

" _Phil I was ready to move out here!" She yelled jumping out of her seat. "We keep coming back to each other for a reason, we're meant to be."_

 _"We're not." He told her. "I love you, I really do. I'd like us to stay friends."_

 _"If you love me how can you let me go?" Amy asked in disbelief._

" _I love you." He confirmed again. "I'm in love with her."_

 _"She's a child." Amy said to him. "She's a kid who always ends up in trouble and you like riding in on your horse to rescue her. "_

 _"It's not like that." He told her. "We connect and out of respect to you I won't give you details."_

 _"You have sex." She mocked._

 _"We have more than that." He said to her. "I can't be with you when my heart belongs to her."_

 _"You sap." Amy mocked disgusted and picked up her dog. "You blew it Phil. I mean it. Don't call me when you wake up and realize you need a woman and not a troubled kid."_

 _"Be mad at me." Punk said following her to the door. "Do not bash her or take this out on her."_

 _"You don't need to protect her from me." Amy hissed._

" _She ended it with me." Punk informed her and Amy seemed confused._

 _"So why am I getting thrown out?" Amy questioned._

" _Because I miss her and I want her and I need a little fucking space to breathe. I need to get over her." He told Amy who laughed as she shook her head._

" _Why do I feel like you're bull-shitting me and the second I'm outside this door you're calling an airline so you can fly out to Tampa and beg her to take you back?" Amy asked._

" _That's not going to happen." Punk told her. "Just don't say shit to anyone she doesn't need-"_

 _"Fuck off." Amy snapped then stormed out of the house._

* * *

 _Punk reached into his pocket for his phone the second Amy was gone and called the airport, him and Amy weren't in love but she knew him like a book._

" _Yea, I need the next available flight to Tampa." Punk said into the phone._

 _Punk got AJ's address from Big E, he had never been to her home before and smirked as he approached it. It was a tiny one level home but it screamed 'April' as he approached. She had little skull's in her garden. He nervously rang the doorbell and prayed she wasn't entertaining anybody._

" _Can I help you?" a woman he didn't recognize asked as she opened the door._

" _Uh, I think I have the wrong place." Punk said embarrassed._

" _I think you have the right place." She remarked coldly. "You're looking for April?"_

 _"I am." He said then could see the resemblance. "You have to be her sister Erica."_

" _That's me." She forced out with a smile. "Why are you here?"_

 _"I need to talk to her." Punk said to her._

" _You don't have a phone?" Erica asked defensively._

" _I do but I wanted to see her pretty face." Punk remarked smoothly._

" _April was right, you are smooth." Erica noted folding her arms. "She's been inside crying since she got home last night." she told him and his heart sank. "That's because of you."_

 _"I didn't know." He said to her. "I want to talk to her. I want to make this right and I get you want to protect her but I promise I'll get her to stop crying. Nobody wants to see her cry less than me."_

 _"I have to go home anyway." She said holding her keys anyway. "Hurt her even more and I will find you." She threatened walking past him._

 _Punk stepped inside the home and could smell the candles she had lit. He had never been here before but he found her bedroom easily and the room was dark besides the candles. He could tell she was curled up on the bed and heard her sniffle._

" _Who was at the door?" she asked. "Erica!" she yelled sitting up and turning to see Punk and she froze in shock._

" _Hi." He greeted nervously._

" _Phil." she whispered and he stepped inside fully. "What are you doing here?"_

 _"I want to talk to you." he said to her._

 _"I told you we can't be friends." She said cleaning the tears off of her face quickly._

" _I don't want to be your friend." he told her honestly. "I want more."_

 _"I'm having a really emotional few days-" She began._

 _"I mean it Ape." he insisted moving to sit on the edge of the bed and grabbed her hand. "I shouldn't have left the other night and I should have cut it off with Amy that next day I shouldn't have waited this long."_

 _"You cut it off with her?" AJ asked unsurely._

" _Yea I did." He told her. "And I should have actually done it months ago, a year ago actually."_

 _"Really?" She asked and he nodded._

" _Just you and me." He said to her. "What do you say?"_

 _"I don't want to be hurt." She cried sadly and he cupped her cheek and she nuzzled her face against it._

" _I don't want to hurt you anymore. I can't stand it." He told her. "We'll take it slow. We'll do dates and I'll be a gentleman." he told her seriously causing her to giggle even though she was still crying. "I want you. And I'll understand if you don't but I promise you I won't stop trying. I'll wait if you need time-"_

 _"I don't need anymore time, we don't need to lose anymore time." She told him. "Where would we go?"_

 _"Huh?" he asked._

" _On a date." She clarified and he smiled._

" _Baseball games until October, Hockey games after, musicals! We'll be in New York in a few weeks I'll take you to whatever show you want, I'll wine and dine you." He promised her._

" _I don't need all of that." She told him. "I just want your word that it's me and only me because I can't stand the idea of you with anyone else."_

 _"Same." He said to her honestly. "It's just you and me for here on out, if you'll have me."_

" _I'll have you." She whispered and he kissed her..._

* * *

"What's this?" AJ asked as Punk walked into the house after walking Larry with a bouquet of roses.

"Got them for you." He said as she stood up and took the flower and immediately shoved her nose into it.

"They smell so pretty." She grinned and reached up and kissed him. "What's the occasion?"

"I need a reason to bring my wife beautiful flowers?" He asked her. "I told you when we got together officially I'd wine and dine you and since we don't wine, here's flowers."

"Thank you." She blushed. "I was just thinking about that night. I was re-reading my book-"

"Yea?" he asked as she pulled a vase out of the cabinet and began to fill it with water.

"Don't you dare." She warned Punk who was leaning over casually to look at the laptop.

"I just want a glimpse of the book." He defended.

"And I want it to be a surprise." She laughed as he squinted his eyes at the open document on her laptop and she slammed it shut.

"Damn." He muttered.

"I loved that night." She said to him. "You came over and you didn't even try to have sex."

"I'm not always thinking about sex." He scoffed. "It was important we talked about what we wanted out of this and I wanted you to know I was serious."

"When we finally consummated our relationship you found me in the rain." she reminded him.

"Oh, I remember that night." He remarked.

"And you still stuck by me." She remembered fondly.

"Of course." he scoffed sitting at the counter and watched as she cut the stems of her new roses.

"Did you break up with Amy because you saw me with Nick and thought we were getting back together?" She blurted out and he laughed.

"What?" He asked still laughing.

"You saw us in catering." She pointed out.

"Yea I remember." Punk said to her. "You two were arguing so no I didn't think you two were getting back together but I want to run over to you and tell him to stay away and swoop you out of his vision because he doesn't even deserve to look at you but, I realized I couldn't since you weren't with me."

"Whatever happened after the night in the rain?" She asked him.

"Uh, we went out a few times and then I asked you to live with me then I proposed-" he trailed off.

"Stop." She laughed. "I mean with Nick." She clarified. "I know you spoke to him after I told you what he said."

"I did speak to him." Punk agreed nodding along.

"In my book I put down that I had no idea what you did or said." She told him.

"Right. Well, you don't." he agreed.

"You really won't tell me?" She asked.

"Nope." He said standing up. "And clearly whatever I said didn't work since he was still sniffing around you once I was gone." he shrugged. "I'm going to workout."

"Jerk." She mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that!" He yelled out.


	17. Future Endeavors

**Future Endeavors**

* * *

 _Punk was getting married today. He never imagined getting married before and now he couldn't imagine not marrying the woman who was currently upstairs hiding away with her sister as professionals worked on her hair and makeup. Punk on the other hand was calm, relaxed and ready. He just needed to get his suit on and remember to say 'I do'. His family was here, his best friends and AJ's small family as well. There were close to fifty people total and there were people everywhere. They decided to get married at home due to their need for privacy and not wanting a big spectacle. They just wanted to be married already. A lot of rumors swirled and not just within the message boards online, even family was curious if AJ was pregnant and that's why they were rushing. There was nothing forcing them to get married this quickly, they just wanted to be._

" _Phillip Brooks?" A fedex man questioned as Punk opened his front door. He signed for the envelope and nodded towards him as he closed the door._

" _There's my son." AJ's father grinned giving Punk a hug. "This place is fantastic."_

 _"Yea? Well your daughter has really made it her own. I don't want you to think I'm super morbid and collect skulls." Punk joked._

 _"Oh my little April loved skulls." Robert grinned proudly. "I also assume all of the toys are hers too." he said pointing to the mantle where all of Punk's action figures were._

 _"They're totally hers." Punk lied expertly. "You need anything? You have enough food? Drinks?"_

" _I feel like I'm getting the best treatment." Robert teased._

" _You are. I'm marrying your daughter not anyone elses." Punk smirked. "Everyone treating you alright?"_

 _"I'm being treated like a king." Robert grinned happily. "Hey! Grandpa is gonna get you!" he teased running after Robbie's twin daughters who were running around the house._

" _Getting nervous?" Colt asked walking over to Punk now._

 _"Nah. I feel suffocated though. I've never had this many people in my house before." Punk admitted as children ran around knocking things over and almost complete strangers wandered around the home.'_

" _You two should have gotten married in a real place." Colt shrugged._

" _Our home is real." Punk argued lightly. "I just want to marry her already."_

 _"A few more hours." Colt smirked. "I got a glimpse at her by the way-"_

 _"Why and how?" Punk asked narrowing his eyes at him._

 _"Relax!" Colt laughed. "There some sort of delivery for her I bought it upstairs I only saw her hair and makeup."_

 _"She doesn't need her hair and makeup done." Punk noted._

" _What's that?" Colt asked nodding towards the envelope. "From WWE?" He asked noting the return address._

" _Huh, finally my royalty checks." Punk smirked. "Perfect timing. This has cost me a lot of money."_

" _How much money could this wedding have cost you?" Colt asked laughing. "You're getting married at home!"_

" _Who do you think is feeding everybody?" Punk asked seriously._

" _It's not even a real sit down dinner." Colt argued._

 _"Do you have a problem with my wedding?" Punk asked annoyed._

" _Would you give a fuck if I did?" Colt asked seriously and Punk laughed._

" _You're right." Punk agreed. "But seriously the honeymoon is costing me a shit load of money."_

 _"Two weeks is excessive." Colt pointed out and Punk glared at him._

" _She's going to be back on the road a few days after it and I'm barely going to see her." Punk reminded him. "It's going to fucking suck so I want to soak up as much time with her as possible. We have a private villa so no annoying fans will bother us, the resort has a private beach, it's worth the money. But I could always use this to help out." he smirked._

" _Yea it is a little weird. You're the cheapest bastard I know and that ring your wife is rocking does not look cheap." Colt noted._

 _"I haven't spent that much money on one single item since my house." Punk admitted opening the envelope._

" _It cost more than your car?" Colt asked and Punk nodded pulling out paperwork. "That doesn't look like checks."_

 _"It's not." He frowned reading over the paperwork. There were a number of pages but Punk skimmed most of them. "Wow." he said in disbelief._

" _What is it?" Colt asked curiously._

" _My termination papers." Punk said looking over the paperwork._

" _What?" Colt asked stunned._

" _They fucking fired me." Punk muttered angry now._

" _Dude, did they know you were getting married today?" Colt asked still in shock._

" _Yea I spoke to Hunter a few days ago and told him I was getting married today." Punk snapped. "Fucking pricks."_

 _"It's alright. You really didn't want to go back did you?" Colt questioned._

" _I thought they'd make me." Punk shrugged. "I thought maybe I'd go back for a few more events and I'd get to be with Ape for a little at least." He was still looking over the paper in disbelief._

" _Hey, son!" Robert yelled. "You've gotta get in on these family pictures." he shouted from across the room but Punk's face was pale._

" _He'll be right there. We're having a suit crisis." Colt told Robert with a smile and pulled Punk over by the stairs where no one was around._

" _I'm getting married today and I just got fired." Punk hissed. "How am I going to look April's father in face and promise to take care of her when I don't even have a fucking job!"_

 _"Relax." Colt encouraged. "You're not exactly going to go broke."_

 _"That's not the point." Punk said to him. "I don't have a job and I'm getting married-"_

" _Are you having a panic attack?" Colt asked almost amused._

" _How am I going to look April in the eyes tonight?" He asked sitting on one of the steps._

" _Do you ever? You're always looking at her breasts or ass when I see you two together." Colt shrugged and Punk glared at him. "I'm kidding, relax. AJ still works." he reminded him._

 _"Thank god I have my wife to provide for me." Punk said shaking his head in disbelief. "If she still has a job. Oh fuck." He muttered placing his head in his hands._

" _What now?" Colt asked._

" _How warm and welcoming are they going to be with her?" Punk asked looking up at him. "She loves wrestling. She wants to go back and work."_

 _"And she will. She's their biggest female star." Colt shrugged._

" _They're going to fuck with her to piss me off." Punk said to him. "I promised her brother that my issues with WWE wouldn't affect her work. I gave my word."_

 _"It's not going to." Colt assured him._

" _You don't know that!" Punk yelled standing up and walked up the stairs._

" _Where are you going?" Colt asked._

" _I have to tell April." Punk said making his way to her office where she and her sister were getting ready._

" _Talk about buzzkill." Colt mocked stopping him. "Don't tell her this right now."_

 _"We don't have secrets." Punk told him._

" _I'm sure you don't but this can wait until after? Do you really want her worrying about this right now?" Colt asked. "Actually, she might just leave you. I mean you don't even have a job." he teased and Punk looked almost ready to cry. "Dude I'm fucking with you!" he laughed. "Call a lawyer."_

 _"What?" Punk asked._

 _"I know you're confused and in shock but you should call a lawyer right now and send him this stuff. The company still owes you money." Colt pointed out._

" _That's true." Punk agreed._

 _"Call a lawyer, send this stuff over and let him worry about this and when you tell April after the ceremony you can tell her you already have things in motion." Colt reasoned and Punk nodded then stopped in his tracks._

" _I can't do that." Punk said to him._

 _"What do you mean?" Colt asked. "You're owed money especially if they're putting you in the game."_

 _"I need to talk to April." Punk repeated and Colt rolled his eyes. "This is her career on the line potentially. I can't just engage in a battle and call a lawyer without at least giving her a heads up."_

 _"And you want to do this right now? A few hours before the happiest day of her life?" Colt asked slowly. "Just call a lawyer and ask him to look into it." he reasoned. "You don't have to pursue but cover you basis."_

 _"Ok." Punk said and headed towards his bedroom._

 _Colt was in the hallway and about to walk away when the guest bathroom door opened and AJ stepped outside._

" _Were you standing in there the whole time?" Colt asked with a nervous laugh and she nodded. "Heard it all?" he asked and again she nodded._

" _What happened?" AJ asked folding her arms._

* * *

 _Punk was sitting on the edge of his bed holding his cellphone unable to make the call to the lawyer._

" _Hi." a sweet voice greeted and he turned his head and saw AJ. Her hair and makeup were done but she was in sweat pants and one of his t-shirts._

" _What are you doing?" He frowned._

" _You don't like my wedding dress?" She asked pouting and he smirked._

" _I'd marry you dressed like that." He told her seriously. "I'd marry you not dressed at all actually."_

 _"I know." She smirked walking further into their room and sitting next to him. "What's wrong?"_

" _I-" He began._

" _I was eavesdropping I already know. I'll save you the pain of telling me that Vince fired you." She said to him._

" _Eavesdropping or Colt told you?" Punk asked her._

" _Both." She shrugged._

" _I was going to tell you but I didn't want to ruin your day." He said to her._

" _Wouldn't ruin my day." She said sweetly. "Did it ruin yours?"_

" _No of course not." he said to her. "You're marrying a loser who has no job."_

 _"I don't care about that." She said to him. "I care how upset you are by this."_

 _"Upset that I'm finally free of them? I'm not. I'm upset they did this on our wedding day. I'm upset that they are forcing me to start my marriage off by explaining to my wife that I have no job." He said to her._

" _If you're happy to be rid of them then who cares?" She asked seriously. "You weren't really planning on going back."_

 _"I thought I'd pop up once or twice." He had to admit. "This really fucking pissed me off." he remarked gesturing to the paperwork which she took from his hands and began to look over._

 _"They said they're not giving you your royalties." She noted reading it over. "That's not fair."_

 _"What can I do Ape?" he asked simply. "I'm not willing to battle them."_

 _"Why?" She asked with a laugh. "You wanted to do it before."_

 _"Not with lawyers." He pointed out. "You'd be right in the middle and that's a risk I won't take."_

 _"I'll be fine." She said passing him back the paperwork. "Call your lawyer."_

" _Ape-" He began._

" _Call him." She insisted. "You are owed money and they knew exactly what they were doing when they fired you today."_

" _They did do this on purpose but I won't make this call if you have any doubts." He said to her seriously. "I'm willing to throw this all away. I don't need the money that badly and I'll be pissed at him but I'm willing to try to forget so you can have peace at work."_

 _"You have my blessing." She smiled warmly. "Don't ever turn down what you're owed. You told me that once."_

 _"I did." He remembered of when she was in NXT. "I should call the lawyer."_

 _"Yes and get dressed because we're getting married in under an hour." she noted._

" _Under an hour?" he asked looking at his phone's time. "Holy shit. You better get dressed." he argued back at her._

" _I'm about to." She said stand up but bent over and kissed his lips sweetly. "I love you. Job or no job."_

" _You don't think less of me?" he asked her. "I'm not sexist but you're going to be the bread winner."_

" _Maybe I should talk to the lawyer about a prenup." She teased in a serious voice and he glared at her. "I'm kidding!" she laughed. "Besides, I have a strong feeling you're going to end up back on your feet and making plenty of money."_

 _"Ape I have no idea what I want to do." he told her seriously._

" _That's pretty exciting." She pointed out. "And there's no rush. You have the time to sit back and relax and think things over. You already have some cool stuff setup." She pointed out. "And honestly, I've never seen you happier and that's all I want for you."_

 _"You're a pretty big part of me being the happiest I've ever been." He noted. "Hey, and you never know, maybe I'll do an MMA fight." AJ just let out a loud laugh._

" _I love this face too much for you to do that." She grinned cupping his face again and kissing him, a little more deeper this time. "But you will end up back on your feet so maybe you'll want to rethink that prenup."_

 _"If you bring up me not getting a prenup one more time I'm going to think you're planning on leaving me." He warned her._

" _I just don't want people to think that I'm using you." She admitted._

" _You make plenty." Punk laughed. "Actually, you make more than me right now so I'm the gold digger."_

" _Oh I like that." She grinned. "Make the call but don't be late because I'm getting married in forty-five minutes with or without you."_

 _"Oh really?" He mocked. "Who are you marrying?"_

" _If you're no there I know Cliff is down there and you know I think he's cute." She said seriously and he glared at her._

" _It was a joke!" She laughed._

" _I'll kill every red blooded male." He warned her._

" _That should frighten me but it actually turned me on a little." She said then thought about it. "What does that say about me?"_

 _"You're a little psycho." Punk admitted. "But so am I. So I guess we're perfectly matched for each other."_

" _Stop kissing!" AJ's sister announced walking into the room and grabbing her by the wrist before she could kiss Punk again. "Less than an hour and you two can't stay apart."_

 _AJ looked over her shoulder back at Punk and shot him a wink before she was dragged out of the room completely._

* * *

"Do you regret that?" Punk asked her.

"Regret what?" She questioned.

"Giving me the go ahead to contact the lawyer." He clarified.

"Of course not. That wasn't a big deal anyway, that was settled quickly." She shrugged.

"What about the podcast?" He asked.

"I was pissed off and encouraged you to do it." She pointed out. "And no I don't regret that either. You had the right to tell your story."

"You put your job on the line for that." He noted.

"I did not." She said to him. "They were the ones who were unhappy with me. You never put in a bad position they did."

"At least I finally got a job." He said to her and she smirked. "I mean I sucked at it and probably got fired from that too-"

"You do a lot." AJ argued. "You write comics. I love that when people ask me what my husband does I can say 'he writes for Marvel'." She grinned. "I get excited just thinking about it."

"You don't mention I'm an MMA fighter?" he asked.

"Nobody asks me about you." She laughed. "Nobody knows me. I'm CM Punk's wife."

"That's not true." Punk argued. "You wrote a book."

"What about after that?" She asked him. "I mean you always worry about what your next move is but what about mine?"

"Kids." He shrugged.

"I want to be more than a wife and a mother." She reasoned.

"You can do whatever you want." Punk said to her honestly. "You do a lot of community service."

"I want to contribute to the house." She told him.

"Really?" He chuckled. "You've contributed plenty and you don't have to do anymore if you don't want to. We're set for life so you have the luxury of relaxing and taking your time."

"What if I wanted to wrestle again?" She asked and it caught him off guard.

"With WWE?" He asked cautiously.

"No." She said to him. "What if I wanted to do some independent shows? Maybe Ring of Honor or I could go to Mexico." She suggested and he nodded along not really loving the idea.

"I thought you were going to do the book and we were going to work on our family right after?" he asked her.

"We will but I have some time to kill. I'm still in great shape." She reasoned. "Unless you're not willing to go to Mexico with me for a few weeks or-"

"Hey." he warned cutting her off. "If that's something you wanted to do you know I'd be there. I'm just afraid you're going to get the wrestling bug again and everything we planned is pushed back. Even though I guess I can't really talk since I wasted two years."

"You didn't waste those years." She told him. "And I don't even have a want to do it I just have a want to do something. I mean, if I went to Mexico I could go alone."

"Or you could not." he smirked. "I'm not letting you travel to Mexico and working those shows alone, no shot in hell. I'll be there."

"I think I'm just anxious to get started on having a baby." She admitted.

"You picked this time." he reminded her amused and she pouted. "Don't look at me like that." he laughed. "You said after your book so you could go on your tours."

"Why can't I do a book tour pregnant?" She questioned.

"You can." He shrugged. "But it'll be a lot of traveling."

"Yea I guess." She frowned.

"If you want to start the process..." he trailed off.

"Can we?" She asked eagerly.

"Nobody is more eager than me." Punk retorted standing up.

"I mean there's no pressure." She reasoned standing up from the couch as well. "If it happens-" she stopped and laughed when he pulled his pants down in front of her.

"I'm ready to get started." he said seriously.


	18. Somebody's Watching Me

**Somebody's Watching Me**

* * *

" _Why are you following me?" AJ asked stopping mid-run and turning to look behind her._

" _What?" Punk asked innocently._

" _You're not supposed to be out here jogging, you're rehabbing that shoulder." She reminded him putting her hands on her hips._

" _I'm not running." Punk reasoned. "I have my car." He pointed to the sidewalk where his car was._

" _Yes I saw you driving slowly behind me like a creep." She remarked. "And now I was about to run in the park on the trail and you were going to follow me."_

" _I was not. Larry is in the car and he loves the park." He remarked pointing to the backseat where Larry was. "I'm offended that you think I'm even spying on you. I mean, my feelings are really hurt. Maybe we should go home and discuss this."_

 _"I'm not going home." She told him and he rolled his eyes. "You've kept me locked up for two days now and now I want to breathe. I love you very much but you're driving me crazy."_

 _"That's really insulting." He said seriously. "Let's go home and fight about this and then makeup."_

" _I'm going for a run in the park." She laughed and he sighed in defeat. "Alone."_

" _Larry misses you." Punk pointed out._

" _He's been attached to me for two days." AJ said to him. "He'll manage for an hour."_

" _An hour?" Punk asked._

" _Stop." she laughed and began to turn around._

" _Babe! My shoulder!" he yelled out holding his injured shoulder and she turned around unamused. "It really hurts. I can't drive back."_

 _"I'll drive the car back for you after my run. You and Larry can walk home." She told him._

" _My shoulder needs ice. And I'll need help." He pouted._

 _"Your shoulder doesn't hurt." She remarked._

" _It really does." He insisted rubbing it. "I need you to come back with me and Larry."_

 _"Phil please." She sighed walking towards him defeated. "You can't keep me locked away forever."_

 _"It's my shoulder." He shrugged pointing at it._

" _Nothing is going to happen to me. I'm capable of taking care of myself." She frowned._

" _I know." He sighed. "I just need a little more April time that's all. I'm freaked out." he admitted. "At least let us come with you for the next few days."_

" _I'm fine." She laughed brushing off his fears but he had on a serious face._

" _Are you going to let us come on a nice walk with you or are you going to make us run?" Punk asked opening his car door letting Larry out and grabbing his leash._

" _Alright boys." She sighed giving in and Punk smiled triumphantly._

* * *

 _They were ten minutes into their walk and AJ was silent since she clearly wasn't happy._

" _I had no idea spending time with me would be so miserable for you." He mocked holding onto Larry's leash._

" _You know that's not it." AJ muttered. "You don't trust me."_

 _"I trust you completely." He said honestly. "It's other people I don't trust."_

 _"He wasn't looking for me." AJ argued._

 _Two days ago a man was shot outside the WWE performance center looking for Amy, but had an obsession with AJ. WWE had taken a restraining order out on the man a few months back once they became aware of his videos and showing up at events looking for her. Punk who of course was always concerned about it never looked up the videos but once news broke of the man Punk spent hours watching them and he was terrified for his wife. Sure the man was in a hospital right now and surely on his way to jail after recovery but he was shaken._

 _Not only did he watch the deranged and mentally disturbed fans videos but constant articles about it featuring his wife's beautiful face on the cover terrified him. She was featured in People, Daily Mail, CNN, MMA news- everything. He had no idea how serious this situation was and vowed to not take any more fan 'threats' lightly. AJ spent a lot of time at that performance center and had she not left the company when she did there was a good chance she might have been there. He was having a hard time letting her out of his sight and it was driving her nuts._

" _I saw his videos. He had gotten to your rental before." He argued. "The things he said-"_

 _"He was sick." AJ reasoned._

" _Don't defend him to me." Punk warned her._

" _I'm not but he's not near me." AJ told him._

" _He could have been and he had been." Punk pointed out._

" _I told you not to watch those videos." She said to him._

 _"Why didn't you tell me this was that serious?" He asked her._

 _"I didn't think it was." She argued._

" _Not letting male fans touch you, not doing events- it wasn't about distancing yourself from the company but you were afraid." He said to her and she was silent. "I would have figured something out. I didn't want you on the road afraid every night."_

" _I wasn't afraid." She insisted. "I just didn't want to be around a lot of people. You knew about the restraining order."_

 _"I did. I just didn't think it was that bad, I didn't even know his name." Punk said to her. "I feel like shit."_

 _"Why? Nothing happened." she told him._

" _Something could have happened." He argued. "You're lucky."_

 _"You don't believe in luck." She told him and he rolled his eyes._

" _In this situation I do." He said to her._

" _You have no right to be mad at me." She pointed out. "I'm mad at you. You barely let me use the bathroom alone."_

 _"I'm shaken up." He argued. "Why aren't you?"_

 _"I was when I first heard the story." She admitted. "Or saw the videos."_

" _You saw them?" he asked her._

 _"Yes of course I did." She said to him. "I saw them as they were being posted."_

 _"And you didn't tell me?" He asked horrified._

" _I wasn't in danger." She shrugged._

 _"You were in danger. And I'm not even home when you're on the road I'm in Milwaukee. You could have given me the heads up." He argued._

" _So you could have sat up every night I was away terrified?" She asked. "You were already nervous when I was on the road."_

 _"I was." He said to her. "You know I'm not sexist, right?"  
_

 _"I know." She said looking over to him._

" _I just get worried. You're a small gorgeous woman who has a lot of money and travels by herself 90% of the time, you can see why I was always worried, right?" He asked her and she nodded._

 _"If I told you about the videos what would you have done?" She asked. "He wasn't leaving where he was to get to me."_

" _You didn't now that and you don't know that." He argued. "Have you not seen what happens to celebrities? You-"_

 _"I was fine." She reminded him cutting him off._

" _I just think you should have been more open and honest with me." He said to her._

" _And what would you have done?" She asked._

" _Hired you a guard." He said to her._

" _Ok." AJ laughed._

" _Why are you laughing?" He asked annoyed._

" _Because you're too cheap to do that." She said still laughing._

 _"I'm not that cheap. I would have had a guard with you 24/7." He told her seriously. "In your room, on the road-"_

" _And you my dear sweet not at all jealous husband would be perfectly fine with some guy sleeping in my room with me?" she asked him._

" _He wouldn't be sleeping, he'd be guarding." Punk said to her then frowned. "But you're right, I would have fucking hated that. I would have gone with you at least."_

 _"That's what I was afraid you'd do. And put your career on hold for mine." She said shaking her head. "I was fine."_

 _"I want you better than fine." He shrugged. "And I'm sorry if you feel like I'm smothering you these last few days but I scared myself watching those videos and I just want to be around you and make sure nobody fucks with you. At least until some of this shock wears off. I mean some of the guys were making fun of this and it was about you." he said disgusted. "It's not fucking funny."_

" _Nobody thinks its funny." She said to him. "And fine. You can follow me around for a few days but eventually you have to let me out alone. I am going to see my sister for her birthday."_

" _Maybe your sister can just fly down here?" He suggested and AJ glared at him. "I should be better in a few days." he told her quickly._

" _I know this is out of love." She said and grabbed his free hand._

 _"A scary amount of love." He agreed seriously. "I have people calling me up about this and I'm so disgusted I don't even know what to say."_

 _"Just don't say anything." She told him. "If we ignore it and not feed into it I can stop being sent articles."_

 _"You're right." He had to admit._

" _And I'm not on the road anymore." She pointed out. "You don't have to worry. And I feel perfectly safe when you're sleeping next to me every night. Bum shoulder and all."_

 _"Gee thanks." He remarked bitterly. "Bum shoulder or not I'd protect you." he argued and she laughed. "I mean it."_

" _I know you're taking this injury really hard." She said to him. "I get it, you don't have to prove yourself to me. I know you could protect me. I saw the way you flipped off the guy who honked at me yesterday."_

" _I'm serious." He argued._

 _"I know." She laughed. "Stop with this. You don't have to prove anything to me. I know you could protect me and I wasn't kidding when I said I felt safe with you. But for your own piece of mind, please remember this man was shot and then will be in the hospital for a long time then probably prison so just relax."_

 _"I'm trying." he said to her. "I just...the things that were said..."_

" _I know it makes you angry." she said cutting him off._

 _"And I can't even hit anything because of my stupid fucking shoulder!" he shouted._

" _By the time your shoulder is healed you'll feel better anyway." she told him._

 _"No it won't. As a matter of fact I'm going to use a picture of him as motivation to rehab quicker." He told her._

 _"Well, at least some good will come out of this." She shrugged._

" _No good has come out of this. I hate reading about you as some sort of a victim. It drives me fucking crazy." He told her._

" _I'm not a victim." She insisted._

" _I know that but the media-" he began._

" _That's the way the media is. They need a bad guy and a victim. Which is why we're not going to pay attention to it or feed into it." She told him._

* * *

"Where are you going?" Punk asked coming down the stairs finding AJ by the door with her jacket on.

"Larry needs a walk." She told him.

"I'm up." He shrugged walking over to the door and grabbing his sneakers.

"You were just out cold in bed." she giggled.

"I was, and speaking of that why weren't you? Have I lost my touch?" he asked concerned.

"No. I fell asleep but Larry had his 'I'm going to pee everywhere' face on." She told him.

"I think that's just his face." Punk informed her seriously.

"Go back to bed I'll take him." She told him and he looked at the time. It was midnight.

"Nah." He said and whistled for Larry who went running right to him. "You can stay here and get back into bed and take all of your clothes off and wait for me though."

"I'm not a china doll." She reminded him passing him the leash.

"I know that." He chuckled nervously. "There's just zero reason for my wife to walk around this area by herself after midnight when I'm here and able."

"If this area is so unsafe how are we having children here?" She asked folding her arms.

"It's not unsafe. Unless our child is going to be running around all hours of the night." He said to her.

"When they get older I'm sure they will be." She told him.

"I'll just do to them what I do to you." He shrugged.

"Stalk them?" She asked amused.

"Stalk is an ugly word, I prefer protect." He corrected.

"Uh-huh." She said watching him and Larry walk towards the door.

"I mean it." He said pointing at her. "Upstairs back in bed this instant."

"I'm hungry." She pouted.

"Damn I forgot I have to feed you in-between sex on these long nights. I'll pick you up something on the walk."

"Donuts?" She asked hopefully.

"There's no donut shops open at this time." He pointed out.

"No, not near by. But there's a Dunkin open." She reminded him.

"That's like four miles." He said to her. "It would take us forever to get there and back." he told her.

"I know." She said passing him his car keys. "You and Larry can go for a ride after your walk."

"Do you really want a donut that badly?" He asked and she nodded eagerly.

"Or I could just go and pick them up while you're out walking Larry and by the time you get back-" She began trying to reach for the keys she just handed to him but he closed his hand and put the keys in his pocket.

"We'll go." He said to her and she smiled. "You weren't even going to go you just know I wouldn't want you going. Don't think I don't know when you're playing me." He said walking out the door.

"It works every time." She said after he closed the door and smiled to herself.


	19. 2 B's- Birthdays & Breakups

**2 B's- Birthdays & Breakups**

* * *

" _Thanks for sneaking me in." AJ said stepping into Punk's home with Colt holding the door open for her. "And for the ride from the airport."_

 _"No problem." Colt said closing the door. "He's upstairs but he shouldn't be coming down here. Are you sure you don't want to just come to dinner with us? We might be out pretty late."_

" _No I want to surprise him back home." AJ said holding her bag. "I have everything I need in here."_

 _"What's in there?" Colt grinned nodding to her bag._

" _Nothing you want to know about." She remarked. "He's just been so good to me these last few weeks that I want to give him the best birthday ever."_

 _"I think you joining us at dinner would be sufficient. He's not expecting you at all. As a matter of fact he didn't even want to go out to dinner because you were in New York and he'd rather celebrate next week with you." Colt smirked._

 _AJ worked Ringside fest today in New York and took a red eye to Chicago. Sure they would have seen each other the next night at Hell In A Cell in Miami, but it was his birthday today and she wouldn't miss it. They were still at the start of their relationship and she didn't HAVE to be there but she wanted to be. She wasn't really up to sitting with his entire family and all of his friends. She was still adjusting to being on her medication and being around a bunch of strangers after flying around all weekend wasn't pressure she needed. She would just surprise him when he got home._

" _He'll have a fine time. Just don't let him invite anybody back with him." AJ told Colt who nodded. "It would be weird if his sisters walked in on what I have planned."_

 _"Sexy time?" Colt asked intrigued and AJ rolled her eyes. "Not sexy time?" He frowned._

" _Private time." AJ corrected._

" _Fine." Colt said to her._

" _Hey, asshole! Can we get this dinner over with already?" Punk shouted opening the door upstairs._

" _He's such a moody prick." Colt muttered. "How do you put up with him?" he asked AJ as he walked to the stairs._

 _A couple of hours later Punk walked in his front door and was startled when he saw the living room was covered with balloons. They were halfway blown up and on the floor then noticed a small happy birthday banner._

" _What the fuck?" Punk asked himself confused._

" _This was meant to look so much better." AJ frowned walking down his stairs and he looked up at her. "I ran out of breath." She said to him as she slowly walked down the stairs. "And the banner was much smaller then advertised and I tried to bake you a cake but I burnt it and then I wanted to light candles but you don't have any and I went to the store to get some but I got lost for like forty-five minutes and-" she was cut off by Punk cupping her face and kissing her.  
"Happy Birthday." She said giving him a hopeful smile as he pulled away. _

" _Thank you." He smirked and kissed the tip of her nose._

" _I really had all of these great plans." She pouted._

" _I don't give a crap. This is perfect." he said to her. "How did you get here?"_

 _"I flew in a few hours ago right after my signing, Colt picked me up and let me in." She told him._

 _"You should have come to dinner." Punk frowned but keeping his hands on her face as he thumb gently rubbed over her cheek._

" _I'm not ready for that just yet. Your family and friends are very protective and I just need a little more time." She told him and prayed he would understand, and of course he did._

" _Ok." He said with a soft smile._

" _I have presents for you." She told him. "Except they're at my place because I clearly didn't plan any of this out the way I wanted."_

" _Just seeing you makes this birthday the best." He assured her. "I'm very surprised and I'm not easy to surprise. You must be exhausted though."_

 _"I'm not. I had like ten cups of coffee." She informed him happily. "I want to spend this night with you."_

" _Now this is a gift that I can enjoy." He grinned pulling away and reached for her shirt but she stepped back._

 _"I did run out and get you a cake, well it's a donut and I have a candle for you to blow out." She told him grabbing his hand and forcing him to sit on the couch._

 _A second later AJ stepped out of the kitchen with a donut on a plate with one single candle in it. She carefully walked it over and placed it in front of him._

" _Please don't make me sing to you." She pleaded and he laughed. "Just make a wish."_

 _"I can't think of one single thing I want." He admitted honestly as she sat on his knee. "I really have it all. You blow it out."_

 _"Me? I can't take your birthday wish." She mocked._

" _My wish is for you to have mine because I really don't need a thing that I don't already have in this room with me." He told her. "Don't make it go to waste." he warned her and she quickly blew it out. "Hope you wished for something good."_

 _"I wished you get ten more wishes." She grinned happily and he had to laugh._

" _Well, I had my wish earlier tonight and I wished for you and here you are." He marveled. "I never believed in that stuff but damn it's hard to argue with reality."_

" _And now you have ten more wishes." She told him reaching for the donut and placing it by his mouth and he took a bite out of it._

" _Boston crème." He moaned swallowing the piece. "My favorite. Have a bite."_

" _Nah I have to wear little to nothing tomorrow night on Pay-Per-View." She reminded him and rolled his eyes._

" _Wear a one piece." He shrugged and she laughed. "Ok, so are you going to grant my wishes?"_

 _"Your wishes are about me?" she asked and he nodded with a grin._

" _Oh yea." He said seriously and she smiled._

" _Your wishes are my command." She said to him._

" _Take your shirt off." He said simply and she giggled but took her shirt off._

" _That's one wish." She reminded him._

" _Yea I can count." He said as she stood up now. "Jeans." he said pointing to them as he relaxed against the couch and watched her shimmy out of her jeans leaving her in a matching black bra & pantie set. "You can take my shirt off." he ordered and she walked over and bent over slightly and pulled his shirt over his head while he remained sitting on the couch. "Sit on me." He told her and she straddled him so she was facing him._

" _No." She warned him as he reached for the donut._

" _Just a bite. It's my wish." He requested holding the donut to her lips. "Your ribs are sticking out. A bite isn't going to add ten pounds."_

 _AJ reached over and took a bite out of his donut but did it slowly and closed her eyes._

" _You can make anything look sexy." He groaned._

" _That was really good." She remarked licking her lips then took the donut from him and put it on the table._

" _Do that thing I love." He told her and she narrowed her eyes. "It's my birthday and that's my sixth wish."_

 _AJ leaned all the way back while still sitting on him so she was dangling over his lap. He ran his hands up and down her bare torso then cupped her breasts as she remained stretched out._

" _I love how flexible you are." He muttered rubbing her breasts. "I love this view."_

" _Is it because you can't see my face?" she asked as her head was an inch off of the floor._

" _No you ass." He snorted a laugh. "It's so I can do this." he remarked then cupped her lower flesh over her panties and she gasped at the contact._

 _He was rough but not hurting her as he massaged and cupped her while she remained dangling. Finally he pushed her panties to the side and two fingers slid inside of her and she began gasping._

" _Oh my god." She moaned as Punk kept one hand on her torso so she couldn't pick her head up._

" _That's my girl." He remarked proudly and she wiggled on his lap._

" _Let me up." She whined._

" _No." He said to her digging his fingers in as deep as they could go and curling them inside of her._

" _Oh!" She screamed out._

" _Do it Ape." He ordered. "Wish number seven. Let go for me." he pleaded playing with her as hard as he could until she finally did release._

 _The minute she did she sat up and he slid his fingers into her mouth before kissing her. Her hands were gripping the back of his head as he practically sucked on her tongue. Her hips rubbed against his pelvis and his hands wandered up and down her book, unclasping her bra in the process._

" _I have two more wishes." He warned her pulling away for air._

" _You want me on my knees?" She asked seductively and he nodded innocently. "I'd do anything for you." she reminded him sliding off of his lap. "I love you Phil."_

 _"I fucking love you to death." He told her honestly as he watched her begin to pull his shorts down..._

* * *

"So, have you decided what you want to do for your birthday yet?" She asked him as he pained her office.

"I'm hoping we'll be able to go to a Cubs game and watch them win the world series." He said looking back at her.

"Boring." She mumbled under her breath.

"For you. Not for me. And you have to go because you're my good luck charm." He warned her.

"You don't believe in luck." She reminded him.

"I'm superstitious when it comes to the Cubs and when you're with me at most games they win. Besides if they do win it will be one of the greatest moments in my life and I need the absolute greatest thing in my life at my side to celebrate with." He told her and she just shrugged. "I was actually just thinking about the Birthday that you flew down and surprised me."

"Oh yea." She grinned. "You liked that?"

"I fucking loved it." He told her seriously. "I was really surprised."

"Colt helped." She shrugged and he just ignored her and went back to painting the corner she was turning into 'Mario World'. "What happened?"

"With what?" He asked as he rolled the paint.

"With you two." She clarified. "I know you said he was mad you wouldn't settle the lawsuit but that couldn't have been all."

"It was a lot of different things." He shrugged as he continued to paint.

"It was me." She said to him and he shook his head.

"It was not you." He assured her looking back at her. "It wouldn't have married who I married, he would have still hated that he lost his wing man."

"So he did hate him." She noted. "I saw that tweet him and Rollins liked."

"Fucking idiots." He muttered under his breath dropping the brush.

"You went to see him and had a big blowout fight, it couldn't have been about the lawsuit. If it was about me I have the right to know." She told him firmly. "If I trashed your relationship with your best friend who you thought of as a brother-"

"You didn't." He told her again.

* * *

" _I just don't understand where you think I'm getting all of this money to pay off lawyers?" Colt asked._

 _Punk had come by to talk to Colt who just got back in town. He had sent Punk a few messages that the lawsuit was draining his bank account and Punk wanted to try to make it right._

" _It's not helping my money situation either." Punk remarked and Colt rolled his eyes._

" _Do you really want to compare bank accounts? I'm having trouble being able to afford to travel! I"m going to have to start taking jobs anywhere!" Colt shouted._

" _I'll help you out." Punk offered. "This is partly my fault-"_

 _"Partly?" Colt asked with a bitter laugh. "You wanted to do this! You were pissed at them for treating your wife like shit and you wanted to drag them."_

" _You begged me to do the show! The only time people even talk about your shit is when I'm involved so you're fucking welcome!" Punk snapped back._

" _Yea great fucking help. Nobody from WWE is allowed on my show anymore. I'm fucking blacklisted with you and her." Colt reminded him._

" _I didn't know it would go down like that." Punk said calmer. "I feel bad but I can't change it."_

 _"Yes you can! You can fucking settle!" Colt argued._

" _I won't settle." Punk told him firmly._

" _Oh fuck off with this attitude that you have to win." Colt sighed. "This isn't just your life! This is my lively hood!"_

 _"I'll help you out with money." Punk reminded him growing annoyed._

" _I don't want a handout." Colt snapped. "I want this shit over with. It's making me sick!"_

 _"Me too!" Punk yelled back._

 _"You and her started this fucking war-" Colt began and Punk held his hand up._

" _That's the second time you did that, her has a name and it's April." Punk said to him and Colt rolled his eyes._

" _What is your deal with her?" Colt asked and Punk narrowed his eyes at her. "She's not the only person in your life."_

 _"She's the most important." Punk shot back. "She's my wife, that's my 'deal' with her." he mocked._

" _You don't even come around anymore." Colt remarked. "Not only that with all the money you're both costing me you couldn't talk her into doing Pro-Wrestling Tees to help me get a little more business?"_

" _She sells shirts for charity." Punk reminded him and Colt laughed._

" _She's such a saint." Colt laughed._

" _Don't go down this path with me." Punk warned him dangerously. "Don't start taking jabs at my wife."_

" _I don't hate your wife." Colt remarked. "I fucking pity her. She gave up her whole fucking life for a selfish prick who in a few more years will get bored of her and move on. And this whole fucking podcast was you shitting on WWE for making her drop the title the way she did."_

 _"That's not what it was all about it and she took a lot of heat backstage for it." Punk reminded him._

" _Poor baby." Colt cooed. "How did she ever get by?"_

" _You want to be pissed at me? Fine. But do not insult her." Punk warned him._

" _I don't even know her." Colt remarked. "She barely comes around. She's so anti-social I can't even get to know her. I mean, does she leave the fucking house? Or does she sit at home waiting for you to cash your checks?" he asked and Punk grabbed him by the shirt._

" _You really want to cross this line?" Punk hissed in his face. "There is no coming back from this." he warned his lifelong friend._

" _Don't fucking touch me." Colt demanded pushing Punk back. "Don't act all hurt. You're the one who blew me off."_

 _"Blew you off? I've been out hurt for months and how often did I see or hear from you?" Punk asked him seriously._

" _I've been busy trying to be able to afford my rent." Colt shrugged. "We don't all have it all like you do."_

 _"And you can't fucking stand it. You can't stand being CM Punk's friend and living in my god damn shadow!" Punk yelled._

" _I can't stand what you became." Colt remarked disgusted. "You're throwing away our friendship over a stupid battle with Vince and a girl."_

 _"That girl is my wife." Punk reminded him slowly. "So, sorry I'm not out at the strip club or the fucking concerts constantly or taking you to the games but I have priorities, I grew the fuck up."_

" _So go home to your wife and your ugly dog-" Colt began and his face turned red._

" _What did you call Larry?" Punk asked and Colt rolled his eyes._

" _Come on now." Colt chuckled. "What do you want from me here? You want me to kiss your ass? I'm not like that. I've known you too long and I'm pissed off and you have a right to know about it."_

 _"Yea you do but you have no right to insult my family." Punk reminded him.  
_

 _"I used to be considered family." Colt pointed out._

 _"Yea and clearly you can't accept the fact that I'm married." Punk shrugged. "You accept my wife or fuck off, simple as that."_

 _"I accepted your wife." Colt told him. "You're the one who decided to blow my life up out of revenge against your former employer in her name."_

" _That's not what it was all about it and you better than anyone should know that." Punk said to him._

" _Aren't you sicking of this?" Colt asked in disbelief. "You turn her life upside down, you turn mine upside down, you turned Amy's upside down- everyone around you suffers but you."_

" _Fuck you." Punk spat and turned to walk to the door and stormed out._

* * *

"Do you think I turned your life upside down?" Punk asked after telling her the story.

"Yes." She told him honestly and his face dropped. "But in a good way. You saved me." She reminded him walking over to him. "I'm sorry Colt hated me so much."

"He didn't and doesn't hate you. He hates me and that's because he has no idea what it's like to be so in love it changes your life." He shrugged. "Fuck him." He muttered grabbing the paint brush again.

"You can just reach out and give him a call." She suggested.

"Nope. He's dead to me." Punk said simply as he began to paint again.

"That's a little dramatic, no?" She teased.

"He insulted our marriage and called Larry ugly." Punk scoffed. "He's lucky I didn't knock his teeth down his throat, which I would have done had my shoulder not been injured."

"Everyone thinks it's because Colt was hanging out at WWE events." AJ pointed out.

"Yea because Colt's really welcomed backstage." Punk chuckled. "He's too busy working with your ex at Ring Of Honor, another thing he said he'd never go back to and went running back."

"I think he needed the money." AJ argued lightly.

"I offered to help him." Punk reminded her. "It wasn't about money. It was about me not being around. When I first retired we hung out constantly because I wasn't training and you were on the road. Now you're off the road and we're in Milwaukee."

"Alright." She sighed giving in. "I just feel bad."

"You have literally nothing to do with this. This was on him." He told her firmly. "I mean he's jealous of my wife and dog what would he be like when we have a kid? My focus is in here on our family and on my career whatever the hell that is."

"Do you think I'm a hermit?" She asked standing over him as he painted.

"Yes." He said and she pouted. "I don't even have to turn my head to know you're sticking your bottom lip out and pouting and normally I'd turn around and laugh and bite on that lip but I have to get this done before the game."

"I'm not really a hermit." She defended.

"You're a total hermit." He said standing his ground. "It's not a bad thing." He said briefly looking over his shoulder at her.

"It doesn't sound good." She argued.

"Look, nobody knows about your childhood." He reminded her turning to look at her. "Nobody really knows the scary experiences you've had while traveling alone on the road. Do you keep to yourself? Sure. But I understand it and I respect it. Look at the people that put themselves out there too much. Never change." He encouraged.

"I don't want your friends to think I'm a weirdo." She insisted.

"We've been married a few years and my friends already know you and they don't think that." He reminded her. "And you're coming to the game with me tonight." He reminded her.

"Oh! I have to shower." She said realizing the game was an hour away.

"No!" He yelled. "We have to leave in an hour."

"I can take a quick shower." She told him.

"No you can't. Your idea of a quick shower is two hours." he told her.

"I smell." She laughed.

"I like your smell." He told her.

"My hair is greasy." She frowned touching it.

"I love it like that. Or you can put a hat on. I don't want to be late please Ape." He pleaded.

"Fine." She gave in and walked out of the room.


	20. Stars And Fireworks

**Stars And Fireworks**

* * *

"What about this one?" She asked stepping out of the closet as Punk tried to sleep. He opened one eye and looked at her.

"I like it." He said then closed his eye as Larry slept at his feet.

"You barely looked." She frowned and walked back into the closet.

"I looked." He grumbled trying to close his eyes. "Why are you trying on dresses? It's just Thanksgiving."

"With my entire family!" She shouted from her closet.

"I'm the one that should be worried." He remarked sleepily. "I'm not. I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt."

"They love you, they barely like me." She pointed out and he scoffed.

"They love you." He insisted.

"What about this?" she asked and he groaned before opening his eyes and they bulged out of his head.

"You're not wearing anything." He said sitting up now.

"Now I have your attention." She laughed walking over to the bed in her bra and panties.

"You're going to wear more than that, right?" he asked cautiously and she laughed.

"Of course." She giggled getting into the bed. "Are you nervous about spending the holiday with my family?"

"Nope." he said honestly. "They know who I am, you are for some reason."

"It didn't go well with my mom." She noted.

"Your mom who you hadn't spoken to in a year and we dropped by on New Years to drop the bomb you were writing a book?" He teased. "I don't think we're going to have that problem seeing as how your mom won't be there and everyone knows about your book."

"I tried to call her you know." She said to him and he frowned.

"Your mom?" He asked and she nodded as she got snug under the comforter. "How did that go?"

"She didn't answer or return my call." She shrugged.

"Why did you call her?" He asked curiously.

"Just to check in." She said rolling onto her side to face him. "See if she was still alive at least."

"She's decided to not talk to you or siblings, that's on her not you." Punk reminded her. "It's not like you're missing out on a good mom or anything."

"I know that but the more we talk about having kids the more I'll have the same type of relationship with my own kids." She confided.

"That's insane." He scoffed. "You're not your mother. You're the opposite of her actually which is why you two don't get along. Oil and water."

"I guess." She said to him.

"If you don't want to go away for Thanksgiving you don't have to. We'll make up a lie and say you're sick or something or say I'm sick." He offered.

"No we can't do that. I want to see my nieces and my dad is dying to see you again." She said to him.

"Stop worrying about it. Your mom won't be there." He reminded her.

"Yea." she sighed looking up at the ceiling. "I just can't get Puerto Rico out of my head."

"It wasn't all that bad." He reminded her. "We had that awesome room and saw your brother."

"Yea." She said to him. "He's getting divorced too."

"Yes, otherwise moving to Tampa without his wife would seem odd." He teased.

"My parents, my brother, my aunt, my cousin-" She rambled.

"What are you getting at?" he asked.

"All divorced." She pointed out.

"Everyone has different situations. My parents- real and adopted stayed married." he reminded her.

"Oh! That's true." She agreed happily.

"We're not like anybody else. We're not getting divorced." He told her. "We agreed before we got married that no matter how big a problem seemed we'd work it out- no matter what."

"What if you get sick of me?" She asked and he laughed. "I'm serious Phil."

"Me too." he said still laughing. "Everyday is an adventure with you I look forward to boring relaxing days."

"I might change after kids." She warned him. "I mean physically."

"Really Ape?" he asked. "You think I'm that shallow? Don't get me wrong you're beautiful but I'm not with you because of how you look. It's about how beautiful you look inside and you are the most beautiful I've ever been with inside and out."

"Prettier than Amy?" She asked and he glared at her.

"You really need me to tell you that you're prettier than her?" he laughed.

"On the inside. I do eat meat." she reminded him and he laughed.

"I fucking love eating meat." He said to her. "We're going to be ok. Every time we have to see your family you get like this."

"I know." She sighed annoyed with herself. "I'm glad you're coming with me."

"You think we'd spend a holiday apart?" He snorted.

"We used to. Always on the road." She noted.

"That's why we're not on the road anymore." He added.

"I've gotten so used to sleeping next to you every single night I don't know how I survived on the road without you when you were gone. I don't think I'd be able to sleep." She told him honestly as she laid half of her body over his.

"That's called a normal marriage." he smirked. "That's part of the reason we left when we did."

"Were you mad that I went back to work?" She questioned.

"I wasn't mad I wanted you to have everything you ever dreamed. I just missed you. I'm a bad sleeper as it is but I just didn't sleep at all with you gone." he told her. "But I wasn't mad."

"I'd be mad if you took a job that kept you away from me." She confided.

"It's a little different Ape." he said to her. "I knew you were going to continue wrestling there was an end in sight."

"Yea I guess." She said to him.

"Saying goodbye to you after our honeymoon was the roughest." He admitted. "You were here for so long and we had that amazing two week honeymoon and then it was like you were ripped away."

* * *

 _Punk was driving to the airport with AJ next to him as she she texted on her phone._

" _I hate traveling." She grumbled. "I still haven't booked a hotel room tonight."_

 _"That's pretty important." He said stiffly keeping his eyes on the road._

" _Are you mad I'm going back?" She asked._

" _No. I knew you would. We discussed it." He said simply._

" _What are you going to do?" She asked._

 _"I really don't know." He shrugged._

" _You're mad." She frowned._

 _"I'm not fucking mad." he snapped then shook his head. "I don't mean to snap but it's just going to be weird to not have you sleeping next to me tonight that's all. I'm not mad about it- it's just going to be weird that's all."_

 _"It's only going to be for a year." She pointed out and he nodded. "My contract is up next July and I'll be home for good."_

 _"I know." he said to her keeping his eyes ahead. "I wish they would have waited a week to bring you back though. I would have liked to at least unpacked before you left."_

" _You know how management is." She sighed placing his hand on his thigh._

" _I know all too well." He said to her. "They're not going to let you keep your rings on, hope you know that."_

 _"I'm not taking them off." She said simply._

" _Don't get yourself fired." He warned her._

" _They won't fire me." She told him._

 _"Don't let anyone in management discuss anything about me with you." He said to her._

 _"What do you mean?" She asked._

" _I mean about my lawyer contacting them." He reminded her and she nodded._

" _Of course." AJ said to him._

 _"It has nothing to do with you and I don't want them dragging you into the middle of it." He told her as he briefly looked over to her._

" _I won't." She promised._

" _I just want you to enjoy work while you're still there, I don't want you to feel what I felt." he told her._

" _I won't ever let it get that far." She promised._

 _Another ten minutes later and they were at the airport. Punk was parked at the drop-off and grabbed her face and kissed her deeply. It had been going on for almost ten minutes and he ignored the honking of people wanting his spot and it wasn't until airport security urged him to hurry up that he did._

" _I want to stay." She sighed getting out of the car._

" _One of us needs to bring home the bacon." he teased getting out of the car and opening the trunk where her suitcase was._

" _And you're not mad?" She asked again._

" _I love you too much to be mad." he said kissing her again before grabbing her suitcase. "I respect you and your work."_

" _Don't forget me." She warned and he laughed._

" _You're not doing live events, right? You'll be back in two days." He said to her. "It would take at least five days to fully forget you." He teased._

" _That's not funny." She pouted._

" _How about you don't forget me." He challenged. "I'll be home unpacking and doing laundry, you'll be on the road and every red blooded male is going to be drooling all over you."_

 _"I've got these rings." She reminded him. "The diamond is so big that you won't be able to miss it."_

" _That was the point." He smirked. "But men like a challenge. Being off the market just gives these assholes more motivation."_

 _"Stop." She laughed._

" _You'll see." He warned her. "I will not hesitate to fly down to wherever you are and kick anybody's ass."_

" _I know." She smiled looking up at him sadly. "I'm going to miss you."_

 _"Two days." He reminded her and she nodded as he cupped her face gently and kissed her pouted lips._

* * *

AJ woke up in the middle of the night and saw Punk out cold laying on his back. She slipped out of the bed and grabbed a paid of sweat pants and t-shirt then got back into the bed and curled back up next to him. She really couldn't get her mind off of their New years trip to Puerto Rico when she went to see her family, her mom in particular, to inform her she'd be writing the book. Her and her mom grew apart as she got older and once she told her about the book it seemed to have had put the final nail in their relationship coffin. She was lucky though, she had Punk to pick her back up.

* * *

" _We're in this beautiful place and you're spending it crying into the pillow." Punk said rubbing her back._

" _She was awful and I'm embarrassed." AJ said crying into her pillow. "I'm sorry you had to witness her."_

 _"I've met your mom before, she came to a show once." Punk reminded her. "She wasn't like that though."_

 _"Why won't she support me?" AJ asked sitting up with puffy eyes. "She didn't come to our wedding, she trashed my book-"_

 _"I think she's a tad jealous of you." Punk said to her. "You have the life she always wanted. You have money, a happy marriage and whole hell of a lot of talent."_

" _I haven't forgiven her for not coming to the wedding so this didn't help." She admitted as Punk used his thumb to gently clean under her eye where eye-liner was running. "I'm sorry you had to witness her tantrum."_

 _"Trust me, my parents aren't a walk in the park. Why do you think I haven't introduced you to them?" he smirked. "She knows it's going to come across as neglect for the way she raised you. She knows she did. That's why your brother ran off and joined the military when he turned 18 and your sister took off when she turned 18."_

 _"I did the same thing." She reminded him quietly. "It just sucks that she hates me because she's my mom and she's not supposed to."_

 _"She doesn't hate you." Punk said to her. "She barely even knows you anymore. She hasn't tried. She hates herself I think."_

" _This trip sucked." She said shaking her head._

" _It did not. We saw your brother and nieces and aunts." He said to her. "And it's New Years Eve so we'll get a firework show. They're doing them on the beach in an hour."_

 _"I don't want to go on the beach, you should go." She said laying back down._

" _Fine. I'll need someone to kiss at midnight though." he said to her standing up and she sat up and glared at him. "It's the New Years rule but lucky for you I'm all about compromise."_

 _"You?" She scoffed grabbing a tissue._

" _Yea, me." He said seriously. "We don't have to go down to the beach but we can watch the fireworks on that awesome private terrace we haven't even used that has that amazing heated pool."_

" _I can do that." She said putting on a brave smile and he pulled her out of the bed._

" _That's my girl." He said bringing her to her feet and leading her out back keeping the lights off on the terrace._

" _Phil I have to change." She laughed._

" _No you don't." He shrugged removing his own clothing._

" _You want me to swim naked?" She asked in a whisper and he laughed._

" _Afraid someone is going to hear you?" He teased as he discarded all of his clothing then jumped in. "It feels great."_

 _"I've never swam naked." She admitted as she slowly removed her clothing._

" _You should, it's great." He said swimming backwards. "I feel so free."_

 _AJ walked around to the steps and slowly stepped into the pool and Punk swam over to her and tugged her by the wrists fully in._

" _I like it here." he said to her. "More privacy here then Hawaii."_

" _Are you ok with me writing about in my book?" She asked._

" _Of course. I know some of it isn't pretty but it's the truth and the truth lead to a beautiful ending." he said as he pulled her towards the five foot area of the pool._

 _AJ wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled brightly._

" _I'm really proud of you." He said to her. "I know a lot is going on with UFC and going back to work after this but I just want it to be said, I'm proud you're doing this book."_

 _AJ barely smiled and he titled his head in surprise. He knew her like the back of his hand and knew what that face meant._

" _What is it, Ape?" he asked curiously. "You're not telling me something."_

 _"It's not a big deal." She said to him and he nodded._

" _Why don't you let me be the judge of that." He smiled sarcastically._

" _I was going to tell you right after the UFC fight next week-" She began._

" _Tell me now April." He encouraged._

 _"I have to have minor surgery." She said to him and his face dropped._

" _What do you mean?" he asked._

" _Remember around Summer Slam when I hurt my neck? And I still get that pain when I work out?" She asked and he nodded._

 _"I thought doctors cleared you." he said confused._

" _The WWE ones did but I saw my own right before we came here and he said I have to have surgery." She told him._

" _On your neck? That's minor surgery to you?" He asked stunned. "When are you having it?"_

 _"January 15th." She told him. "I know you're starting your training that week and I'll be fine." She told him. "I'll have a brace on for four weeks then just another two to heal properly-"_

" _Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "You going in for surgery is a big fucking deal."_

 _"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you." She shrugged. "It's not a big thing."_

 _"Going in for surgery on your neck is always a big thing."He said to her. "I'll be there. I'll push back starting in Milwaukee-"_

 _"No you will not." She told him sternly. "I'll just need a ride home from the hospital."_

 _"A ride home? Like I'm not going to be sitting in the hospital waiting room worried?" He mocked._

" _It's a Friday so-" She began._

" _Perfect. I can take that entire weekend." he said to her. "And if you need my longer I'll take as much time as you need me for. Next time, tell me April."_

" _I will." She said to him._

" _You're always keeping important stuff like this from me because you think it's protecting me but it's not. I would have figured it out eventually." he told her and she nodded. "You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore, I'm here to help with that burden, ok?"_

 _"Ok." She said giving him a thankful smile._

 _AJ leaned in and kissed him deeply and before they got out of hand Punk pulled away._

" _What's wrong?" She frowned._

" _You're about to have neck surgery I don't think pool sex is a good idea." He said to her._

" _I'm not going to be twisting my neck." She promised. "Just take all of my weight on you, do all of the work- you like that."_

" _I don't like to do all of the work." He defended and she eyed him. "Ok, sometimes I do."_

 _"All of the time." She smirked. "I like when you do that too."_

" _If it gets to be too much will you tell me?" he asked and she nodded eagerly._

 _Just then the fireworks went off signaling it was a New Year but they didn't bother to wish each other a Happy New Year, they decided to show each other..._

* * *

"You are such a creep." Punk said with his eyes still closed. "Always watching me when I sleep."

"You look so peaceful." She replied cutely and he opened his eyes and looked over to her.

"Are you wearing my clothes?" he asked annoyed.

"Since when do you care if I wear something of yours?" she asked amused.

"Since I just stripped you out of everything a few hours ago." He said seriously and she laughed. "It's like all of that hard work was for nothing."

"Hard work? I was in a bra and a thong, and you got sex so it paid off." She said getting comfortable under the covers.

"If I fall asleep naked, you sleep naked." He said to her.

"You sleep naked every night." She laughed.

"Yea just in case you get touchy in the middle of the night." he said seriously causing her to laugh.

"You want to go away for New Years again?" She asked him.

"You want to go see your mom?" He asked fearfully.

"No." She said adamantly. "But we could go back to Puerto Rico just avoid her. My family isn't there anymore so it would just us and that pool."

"Do they allow dogs there?" Punk asked and she nodded. "Larry would like Puerto Rico."

"He'd like anywhere new he could pee." She smirked. "We can ring in the New Year under the stars and fireworks in the pool again."

"You don't have to convince me. I think we deserve a beach getaway." He said to her. "I'll call tomorrow and see if there's anything available."

"Thank you." She said kissing the corner of his mouth then laying down next to him.


	21. Stigma

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone! And no I am not AJ or have inside information lol. That's very flattering though. It was just an educated guess based on her book synopsis and a theory I've had for a while. Anyways, super proud of her for coming out and being so honest about it & I'm really looking forward to the book as I'm sure you all are as well. Her diary entries are written so brilliantly! Anyways, enjoy! ;)**

* * *

 **Stigma**

* * *

Punk was in the basement relaxing in an ice bath after a long hard workout. He heard footsteps and saw AJ walking in with her I-Pad.

"I did it." AJ announced.

"Did what?" he asked as he closed his eyes again.

"I posted my diary entry." She said to him and he opened one eye and looked at her. "About having Bipolar disorder."

"You did?" he asked opening his other eye now. "You didn't tell me that's what you had been writing." he said grabbing a towel to dry his hands.

"I know. I wanted to surprise you too. You knew I'd write about it eventually." She pointed out.

"Let me see." he said holding his hand out for the I-Pad.

"You want to read it right now?" She asked anxiously.

"Yea I do." he smirked.

"I posted it an hour ago, I haven't dared to read the feedback." She said to him. "Maybe you should avoid it too."

"Since when do you care about negative feedback?" Punk asked her.

"I don't but I know you do." She said to him. "Especially when it comes to me. Maybe wait until later?" she suggested.

"I won't read the feedback but I don't know why anyone would be negative." Punk snorted. "This is such an important story for you to tell and nobody should say anything negative about it." He said reaching for the I-Pad but she held it out of his reach. "Let me see, Ape."

"No." She said. "Later."

"Now." He said and she just rolled her eyes.

"It didn't really delve into anything personal, that's for the book but it won't take long for people to pick on things." She said to him. "Soon they'll blame the Beadle incident on me being crazy, just like she said I was."

"You're not crazy." Punk said to her seriously. "And Beadle is a bitch."

"There was nothing wrong with me then." She reminded him Punk. "I was fine. I was taking my medication."

"Yea I know." he said sadly. "You were just defending me. You were always good at work."

"No I wasn't." She laughed. "But the worst was the incident right before your podcast and I got sent home."

"Oh, that." Punk remarked. "You were just pissed off."

"I went too far." She said to him. "Got sent home from live TV."

"Fuck them." Punk spat. "Vince knew what was up, he just had to save face."

"He always covered for me." AJ reminded him and Punk rolled his eyes.

* * *

" _AJ." James, also known as Road Dogg greeted as AJ entered the makeshift office at the arena. "Everything ok?"_

 _"No it's not." AJ said to him. "Why am I on Main Event losing to Eva Marie- again?"_

 _"I'm not a writer, honey." James smirked and AJ narrowed her eyes at him._

" _What did you call me?" She asked and he became serious._

" _I'm sorry, but look you're doing your part to put over the new talent." James reasoned._

" _I'm all for putting over talent." AJ said to him. "I put over Nikki, I've put over every single Total Diva including Eva- months ago! But there's not a lot of talent in that body. I let you guys take the title I made relevant again off of me in under a minute and now this? Why am I being punished?"_

 _"I'm not in charge of the matches AJ." James said standing up. "You want to talk to Hunter?"_

 _"He never wants to talk to me." AJ snapped._

" _Don't be like that, you're starting to sound like that husband of yours." James teased but AJ wasn't amused._

" _Was anything he said a lie?" AJ asked seriously._

 _"I don't know AJ-" James began nervously._

" _What the hell do you know?" AJ demanded. "What is your function here?"_

 _"You maybe a talent here but don't forget you have to respect me." James reminded her._

 _"Respect you? That's all anyone says back here. Respect me, respect that one- who the hell respects me? Not you. Not Hunter. Not Stephanie. Certainly not any of the girls in that locker room and after you make me job to Eva again I'll lose the respect of the audience!" She yelled._

" _Are you alright?" James asked quietly even though she was causing a small scene._

" _No!" She yelled. "I want to know why you people hate me. I come to every show I'm scheduled for, I put up working for the people who tried to ruin my wedding day and anything that is asked of me gets done. Why am I being punished? Tell me!"_

 _"You're not being punished AJ. This is how it goes here sometimes." James frowned. "You know this business better than most of the talent here-"_

 _"Why are you humiliating me?" she demanded to know. "Don't I deserve at least an explanation?"_

" _You're not going to be here forever." James reminded her. "We need to build upon new talent. Which I thought you'd be more than happy to do since you were such an advocate for bringing Paige up and some of the other girls."_

 _"Talented girls." AJ corrected. "Not ones that get half naked and parade around on the E network. Is this because I didn't do the show? Had I done Total Divas would I be getting that treatment?"_

" _You know we don't punish talents by compromising their matches." James reminded her sternly. "You're acting crazy."and with that word, she was triggered slightly._

" _You don't know me." AJ snapped. "You have no right to call me that! Why are you even here? You were the lesser of a tag team! Nobody gave a shit about Road Dogg Jesse James and when you were rightfully fired you went on a tirade so brutal you should have never been mentioned again let alone welcomed back to work. But me and my husband are constantly taking shit!"_

 _"That's enough out of you." James warned. "Don't even bring this up to Hunter, because I will." he threatened._

" _Aw, did I hurt your feeling James?" She mocked. "Did I make you feel bad? Do you feel disrespected? Welcome to every fucking night I come to work!"_

 _"You're done AJ." James said stunned by her outburst. "You get away with murder around here but you won't disrespect me or any other official here."_

" _I'm shaking." She spat. "And I won't wrestle the match so you can tell Hunter that too." She said then walked off._

* * *

 _Ten minutes later she was called into Vince's office who she also blames for Punk's situation but Vince always had a soft spot for her._

" _AJ." Vince greeted waving her in and pointed to a chair for to sit in while he finished up on the phone._

" _Need me in here?" Hunter asked as Vince hung up and AJ wouldn't even look at him. She had refused to look or speak to him since getting back after her wedding._

" _That's alright." Vince said nodding for him to leave. "What happened?"_

 _"You tell me." AJ said to him._

" _You didn't like your match and acted out." Vince said to her simply. "You can't speak to anyone back here like this. We discussed this after the Beadle incident."_

 _"If I don't stick up for me, who will?" AJ asked him._

" _I stick up for you." Vince reminded her honestly. "I always have and I still do. You're an asset to this company. That's why you've remained so prominent."_

" _You have a funny way in showing it." She mocked._

" _You're still upset about the title match." Vince frowned. "I understand that. But you need to talk to me and not James. You really upset him and he's to be respected backstage, same as we respect you."_

 _"He called me crazy." AJ said to him and Vince just nodded._

" _You know AJ, not everyone is aware of your situation." Vince reminded her. "I hear you went off on a producer and I know that's out of character and I'm immediately concerned. They don't see it that way. They see it as CM Punk's wife adapting his attitude."_

 _"There's nothing wrong with me." AJ said folding her arms._

" _There is." Vince said to her. "I know you well enough. Have you been taking your medication?"_

 _"Of course." She said to him coldly. "I'm tired, I'm cranky and I can't believe I have to job to Eva- again. I did it twice for you already and you said that would be it until she improved."_

 _"Things change." Vince said to her. "Are you having trouble with traveling?"_

 _"It's not about the travel." AJ said annoyed. "I just-"_

 _"You just what?" Vince asked calmly. "You have to talk to me here AJ."_

 _"I just need some sleep. I don't sleep well on the road anymore." She mumbled. "I'm the only one who can't travel with their spouse."_

 _"I understand that. It's still no excuse for your outburst. Apologize to James." Vince told her and AJ just shook her head slowly, but relented._

" _Fine." She bit out._

" _And pack up your bags and go home for the week." Vince told her._

" _You're suspending me?" She asked._

" _No. If I was suspending you I wouldn't be paying you." Vince pointed out. "I want you to go home and get some sleep."_

" _I was supposed to be filming SmackDown this week." She pointed out._

 _"Not anymore." Vince said to her. "You're making it very difficult for yourself here. You're irritable, rude, quiet- you need to warm up a bit."_

 _"This is how I've always been." She argued._

 _"No it's not." Vince said to her. "And that's what concerns me."_

 _"I'm not off my meds Vince." She reminded him. "Maybe I'm bitter about how things ended with my husband here. And maybe working here puts a huge strain on my marriage. Do you know how difficult it is to leave my home and come to a place where everyone whispers and gossips about me? Takes their anger on Punk out on me?"_

" _I'm sorry you feel that way but you're an adult. I assumed you'd be able to make the best of this situation." Vince said to her._

" _You fired him on our wedding day. That was my day too." AJ reminded him._

" _I told you there was a mixup with that." Vince said to her and AJ rolled her eyes. "I apologized the day you returned."_

 _"An apology doesn't erase what you did. And you owe him the apology." AJ said to him._

" _You really need to get some rest." Vince said to her and she stood up. "If this Punk-like attitude isn't adjusted before next week's TV then please let me know so I can find someone to replace you on TV."_

 _"How nice." She remarked sarcastically._

" _I try with you AJ, I really do but I can't do anything more for you. You're making not only yourself miserable while you're here at work, but everyone around you. It's toxic to the locker room and as much as I like and respect you I won't have it. Don't push me." Vince said to her._

" _I'll see you next week." was all AJ said before storming out of the room._

* * *

 _AJ grabbed her bag and raced to her rental car. She was only two hours away from Chicago so she opted to drive home. She'd go in for the night and then drop the rental off tomorrow. She didn't even call Punk to tell him she'd be coming home. She ended up crying almost the entire way home. She felt so disrespected and alone. So belittled, she felt everything she worked for in the company was slowly being erased and handed off to a cast of a reality show. She didn't even apologize to James on her way out._

 _AJ arrived home at midnight and let herself in the front door. She didn't even bring her bags in. She was an absolute mess and she just wanted to go up to bed and sleep. Punk heard the door open and was at first stunned to see his wife who wasn't expect home until tomorrow but then shock turned to sadness upon seeing her face._

" _Ape?" He asked and she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and cried into his chest. "What happened?"_

 _"I don't want to talk about it." She sniffled._

" _I do." he said pulling away and looking at her. "What happened? Why are you here?"_

 _"I got into argument with James and sent home for the week." She told him. "I can't stand it anymore. I keep losing it there! It's so difficult to work there since everything happened. I feel my lowest when I'm there." she told him._

 _"Do you want me to call your doctor?" He offered and she pulled away from him._

" _This has nothing to do with me being bipolar! I'm allowed to feel shitty in spite of having it. Vince tried that same shit with me earlier. I'm not upset because I'm sick, I'm upset because I have every right to be upset!" She cried out._

" _You're right." Punk agreed calmly. "Talk to me."_

 _"What's to say?" she asked. "I hated the match they had me on for, I flipped, I got called crazy which really made me flip and I got sent home." She shrugged._

" _I'm sorry." he said to her._

" _I feel like a ticking time bomb there." She admitted sitting on the couch. "That place used to be my safe and happy place and now my ulcer aches every time I step into an arena."_

 _"I think you're tired." Punk said sitting next to her._

" _I am tired." She admitted sadly._

" _What about hungry?" He asked._

" _No." She said to him using her hand to clean off her tears._

" _I'm tired too." He said to her. "Let's go to bed. We'll sleep all day tomorrow and then we'll talk about this when you feel fresher."_

 _"Ok." She nodded and he stood up and took her by the hand and lead her up the stairs._

* * *

"This is great." Punk said walking into AJ's office as she worked at her laptop.

"Yea?" She asked nervously.

"You write so beautifully." Punk said honestly. "I could read anything you write. And all of the feedback has been amazing."

"I feel better." She said relieved.

"You're a hero to people." Punk told her. "People needed to hear that they're not alone. I'm so fucking proud of you."

"Thank you. I want to make you proud." She said to him.

"Already am." He said simply. "So, what are you doing here? Working on the next book."

"Let's see how this book does first." She said to him.

"It's going to be a hit." he said to her. "You're going to be a New York Times Bestseller."

"Let's not got ahead of ourselves." She warned.

"Are you kidding me? I'm your biggest fan." He said seriously. "It's already my favorite book. Start writing another one so we can retire."

"Right, because we really need the extra cash." She teased.

"I want you to do what makes you happy." he said to her.

"I am happy. I'm nervous and anxious but I'm happy." She told him.

"That makes me happy." He said to her. "I'm going to re-read this blog entry again." he smirked holding up his I-Pad and walking out of the room.


	22. Birthday Girl

**A/N: Sorry! I know it's been a while but here I am with a birthday gift! Keep in mind that I don't know what AJ's book is exactly about and most of what I write in this story is just fiction. But based off some reviews here are some theories. Thanks for the past reviews!**

* * *

 **Birthday Girl**

* * *

" _What are we going to do today?" Twelve year old AJ asked her mother._

" _I don't know April I had a long night." AJ's mother yawned falling onto the couch and laying face down._

 _It was 11 in the morning and AJ had been up since 8 waiting to start her birthday celebration. Her mom was out all night and just walked into the house and AJ could smell the alcohol on her breath. She let out a sigh as she grabbed a blanket and placed it over her mother._

" _Today is my birthday." AJ whispered to her mother with a big smile and AJ's mom opened her eyes and gave her a weak smile._

" _That's good baby." She said then closed her eyes again._

" _Do you think Dad will be home today? Or maybe Erica? I wanted to call Robbie-" AJ began to rambled._

" _April please." Her mother groaned. "Mommy needs a coffee, go make me coffee."_

" _Ok." AJ frowned a bit and walked into the kitchen. She pushed a chair over to the counter and climbed on the chair and reached into the cabinet but it was empty. As was most of the cabinets. There wasn't much of anything left in the apartment. Nothing edible and nothing but water. "No more coffee!"_

" _Go get me some." Her mom said tiredly._

" _I don't have any money." AJ frowned._

" _You know what to do April." Her mom snapped. "I can't do anything with you today until I get coffee."_

" _I'll get your coffee." AJ said grabbing a jacket and putting it on._

 _AJ had gotten used to stuffing items into her jacket from the local markets when she was with her mom. She said AJ was too young to be punished if caught and she was so adorable most people wouldn't even stop her. AJ couldn't stand it though. She knew right from wrong and avoided it all costs. She ran across the street and knocked on the neighbors door._

" _Hi AJ!" A little girl greeted as she opened the door. "Happy Birthday!" she cheered placing her arms around her. AJ and her family had only lived there for a few weeks but this girl went to the same school as her._

" _Hi Janice." AJ smiled._

" _You want to come over and play?" Janice offered._

" _My mom sent me to see if your mom had coffee we could borrow." AJ told her._

" _Again?" Janice's mother smirked coming up by the door. "I'll go grab some."_

 _"Thanks." AJ smiled relieved. She wouldn't have to go steal it and she could wake her mom up and spend the day with the only family she had at the moment._

" _What are you doing for your birthday? Did you get your presents yet?" little Janice quizzed excitedly._

" _Oh! Not yet. My mom has a huge surprise planned for me." AJ lied through her teeth, something else she had grown used to doing. Never admit there was a problem. "And there's so many presents in there for me, they fill up the whole room! But I can't open them until after we have my cake."_

 _"So cool!" Janice squealed._

" _I know. I got everything I wanted, I just know it!" AJ grinned as Janice's mother returned with some coffee in a bag._

" _Your mom has a coffee maker right?" she asked passing her the unmade coffee._

" _Of course. Coffee is her addiction." AJ giggled cutely._

" _I hope you have a good birthday AJ." Janice's mother smiled._

" _It's already the best. Thank you!" AJ waved._

" _See you at school AJ!" Janice waved as AJ ran across the street._

 _AJ walked in the front door and her mom was still half awake._

" _I got it." AJ announced heading right into the kitchen._

" _How did you get it so fast?" her mom asked sitting up and looking at her. "Huh? I asked you a question!"_

 _"Janice's mom had some." AJ said quietly and her mom let out a scream._

" _What the hell is wrong with you? How did I raise such an idiot?" Her mom demanded to know as she stood up. "We don't ask people for things!" she said slapping the coffee out of AJ's hands._

" _I'm sorry-" AJ began as she held back tears._

" _Why are you so thick headed? Why can't you do anything right?" her mother asked her coldly. "How could I have raised such a stupid little girl?"_

" _Mom-" AJ began as her bottom lip quivered._

" _Go to your room AJ." Her mother demanded pointing. "I'll go out and get my own coffee."_

 _"But it's my birthday." AJ frowned._

 _"I don't care. Maybe if you did anything that you were ever told you dad would be here or your sister would come home or your brother wouldn't have run off and we could have had a party." her mother said to her. "Go to your room while I'm out." she said to AJ._

" _You're leaving again?" AJ frowned._

" _I have to now don't I?" Her mother mocked. "You couldn't do one simple thing!" She screamed causing AJ to flinch. "Room!" she yelled pointing and AJ ran into the room and closed the door._

 _AJ closed the door and locked it and rested her back against the door as she slid down it and wept. This was not how she envisioned her birthday. She tried to control her crying and narrowed her eyes in anger, she really did hate her mom sometimes. She waited and listened for the front door and when she heard it she knew her mom was gone and she wouldn't be seeing her for the rest night. AJ walked out of her room and turned on the TV, she popped in a VHS and watched an old wrestling show her brother had recorded._

* * *

"Happy Birthday." A voice whispered and she kept her eyes closed but smiled.

"I feel like it's been my birthday all week." AJ grinned rolling onto her back and looking up at her husband.

"It's a big birthday, you're an old lady now." Punk said seriously passing her a cup of coffee and she frowned looking down at it. "What? It's exactly the way you like it..."

"It's fine." she said brushing it off. "It just-" she stopped herself. "Is that pancakes?"

"Yes." He said to her holding a tray. "Cooked it myself."

"What about Celeste, is she hungry?" AJ asked.

"She went to the gym." Punk told her. "We have the morning to ourselves."

"Good." She said as Larry jumped on the bed.

"Not for you." Punk scolded Larry who was ready to eat AJ's breakfast. "So, what's wrong with the coffee?"

"Nothing." She said shaking her head. "I was just remembering my birthday when I was a kid and my mom sent for me coffee."

"Oh." Punk said awkwardly. He knew her mom was still a very sore subject for her. "I can get you juice." He offered unsure on how to fix this.

"No I want the coffee." She smiled sipping it. "And it's just the way I like it. If you would have told twelve year old me that someone would be serving me coffee or acknowledging my birthday I would have laughed."

"Those days are over for you." He said to her. "I spoil on all and every holiday."

"I know." She smiled and he gave her a kiss. "That's why I'm letting the old lady comment slide."

"You're only as old as you feel and you need to feel young because you keep me young." He said getting back into the bed and laying next to her as she sat up with her food.

"You're a grandpa." She snorted and laughed and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Eat her pancakes." Punk instructed Larry who instead jumped on him.

"This is prefect." She said to him.

"I wish you would have let me thrown you a party at least." He said to her as he played with Larry.

"No. This is the best. You surprised me with my best friend. All I need is you guys." She said to him.

"What about presents?" He asked her.

"Celeste was present enough." She said to him.

"Don't be ridiculous." he said to her. "Eat your pancakes and maybe I'll give you one before your cake tonight."

"There's more than one?" She asked intrigued.

"Isn't there always?" he asked seriously and her eyes lit up and she jumped out of the bed. "Ape, no!" he scolded gently pushing Larry off of him and chased after her and she ran into the room where she knew he was keeping her presents.

"Phil!" She gasped rushing down the stairs into the living room where there were dozens of presents.

"I had a plan here." He said following after her. "At least wait for Celeste-" he began as she picked up a box.

"Can I open this one?" She asked hopefully. "Just one right now. Please?" She pleaded and he groaned unable to say no.

"Yea ok." He forced out and she ripped the gift open.

It didn't take long for AJ to guilt Punk into letting her open up all of her gifts.

"You really are impatient." He said to her.

"You got me everything and then some." She said to happily.

* * *

Punk had purchased video games, funkos, figures, clothing, jewelry, shoes- anything she happened to mention over the past year that she wanted. They had set price limits for each other on Christmas but not birthdays.

"It's too much." She said in awe of it all.

"It's not enough." He said to her. "You went a few years without getting anything I'm just making that up."

"It's not up to you to make up." She reminded him.

"It is." He said to her. "I want to erase all of those bad birthdays you had when you were younger."

"You have." She had to admit. "Thank you." She said wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. "I love you." She said jumping up and he caught her so she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I love you too." He said giving her half a smile.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"It's just- I wanted to wait on the gifts so we'd have enough time to- you know- before your friend got back." He said to her.

"Take me into the shower." She said kissing his jawline.

"You are such a smart woman." He said climbing the stairs with ease with her still wrapped around his body.

* * *

 _ **March 19 2012: Monday Night Raw**_

 _AJ was in the back of building as Raw. She had accompanied Daniel to the ring during his match against Zack and now he was off with Brie and she was waiting for the show to wrap up before leaving. She kept looking at her phone waiting for a phone call from her mom wishing her a happy birthday. It was almost pitiful how she would stare at it until it would ring._

" _You waiting for a call?" A teasing voice asked and AJ looked up to see Punk, already in his sweats and clearly waiting for the show to end as well._

" _Yea- no." She said confused. "No." She decided and he smirked. "You had a really segment." She blurted out._

" _Yea? Thanks." He said to her leaning on the crate she was sitting on._

" _That sucks." She said to him._

" _You just said it was good." He teased. AJ was always nervous when he would talk to him, which is why he enjoyed speaking to her so much. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red and she shook her head._

" _I meant Jericho bringing up the stuff about your dad. I know the stuff about your sister isn't true but I'm sure it's not easy to hear." She noted._

" _Well like I said I'm proud of my father, he's overcome a lot of those obstacles." He said to her and she gave him a forced smile._

" _You relate to me a bit?" He asked curiously. "Actually, it's weird I've never seen your parents at a show."_

 _"They're busy." She told him and he laughed. "I don't do much here anywhere I just parade around half naked and get bullied by Brian." She teased but Punk wasn't amused._

" _Who told you that?" he asked curiously._

" _Nobody." She said shaking her head. "My parents live in Puerto Rico." She suddenly blurted out._

" _Maybe you're the lucky one. My family is constantly asking me for tickets or showing up." He said to her but she couldn't even put on a smile. "Your parents think you parade around half naked and do nothing?" he asked._

" _Not my dad." She told him and he nodded. "My mom is just- she's different."_

 _"Now that I can relate to." he assured her. "You're more than that and you'll be wrestling soon."_

 _"I hope so." She said to him._

" _I actually wanted to compliment you." He said to her and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Your work with Brian has been really good. You're a really good actress. And I'm not just saying that because back here a lot of the girls could use some acting help but you play the victim very well."_

" _I'm not a victim." She announced harshly. "I'm sorry." She said to him quickly._

" _Don't. I used the wrong word." He said to her. "You're just really good in this role, that's all."_

 _"Thanks." She almost snorted._

" _It's not that unfamiliar to you?" He asked her curiously._

" _No." She almost whispered._

" _If you ever want to talk-" he began as she hopped off the crate._

" _I don't." She said with a laugh. "But thanks."_

" _Birthday girl!" Celeste shouted coming down the hall. "Ready to party?" she teased._

" _Birthday girl?" Punk asked looking down at AJ._

" _You are the worst birthday girl ever." Celeste teased. "It's her birthday and she won't even tell anybody." she told Punk._

" _How old are you this year? 18? Are you finally legal?" he teased and she punched his arm._

" _25." She almost cried._

" _25!?" He mocked. "You're so old now."_

 _"Five more years and then I'm thirty." She told him._

" _I'm over thirty." He reminded her. "And I feel nice and young." He informed her. "Are you heading home for the celebration?"_

 _"No." She said shaking her head. "I have Smackdown tomorrow and other stuff all week."_

" _We were going to grab a pizza, want to come?" Celeste offered and AJ glared at her._

" _Why are you giving her that look?" Punk asked AJ._

" _Because you're busy." She said to him. "My birthday isn't a big deal."_

 _"It is kind of a big deal." He said to her. "And I am starving! I'd love some pizza. Beside Kofi ditched me tonight to ride with his real wife and I've got nothing but time."_

 _"Really?" She asked taken back._

" _Really." He smirked._

" _Go grab your bag." Celeste told AJ._

" _I'll be five minutes." She told them then practically ran to the locker room causing Punk to laugh._

" _You don't have to come out I was just kidding." Celeste said to Punk once AJ was out of sight._

" _I really don't have anything else to do." he shrugged. "It's her birthday she should have some fun. Her parents didn't fly in or anything?" he asked subtly._

" _No." Celeste almost laughed and he frowned. "That's a long story and it's not mine to tell." She told him and he nodded. "She's going to be so excited you're coming out though she'll probably talk your ear off about wrestling and asking for tips."_

 _"It's her birthday, she can do or ask whatever she wants." He said to her and that's when AJ came back over._

" _Got it." She announced happily holding up her bag and Punk couldn't help but smile at how cute and excited she was to hang out with him. If just having a slice of pizza with her made her this happy on her birthday then it was worth it to him._

* * *

"Do you realize me, you and Celeste got pizza on your 25th Birthday?" Punk asked driving as AJ sat next to him. They had just dropped Celeste off at the airport after eating some famous Chicago deep-dish pizza.

"Oh yea." She said to herself thinking about it. "You took pity on me that year."

"I wouldn't say that." he said to her. "I liked hanging around you. You used to get all nervous and blush and stutter." he remembered fondly.

"I still do." She said glancing over and arching a brow at him.

"Then I'm doing something very right." He said keeping his eyes on the road, only briefly looking over to her.

"You've done everything right." She informed him. "This really was the best birthday."

"It's not over yet." He said to her.

"It has to be." She laughed.

"I still have a few surprises up my sleeve." He said to her as he drove.

"I know you really wanted to watch the game tonight." she said to him.

"Nope." He said shaking his head. "I'm taking you to see that movie that you've been talking about."

"Beauty and the Beast?" She asked happily and he nodded. "You said you'd never see that with me."

"I lied." He shrugged. "Then dinner. At your favorite restaurant."

"How about we do the movie tomorrow and we order in tonight?" She suggested.

"Why? Are you not feeling well?" He frowned.

"I really want to watch the game with you tonight." She said to him.

"This is your day Ape-" he began.

"Yes and since it's my day I want to watch the Blackhawks play and order in junk food." She told him. "Tomorrow we can go to the movie."

"And the dinner?" he asked. "I want to do this dinner."

"Yes." She promised.

"You don't have to do this I don't mind missing the game I'll record it." He told her again.

"I just want to lay on the couch with you and Larry tonight." She told him honestly. "I really don't need anything else."

"I really did do good." he said glancing over to her.

"What?" She asked confused as she hadn't seen his tweet to her yet.

"Nothing." he said to her. "So this was a good birthday?"

"The best one yet." She told him happily.

"You say that every year." He reminded her.

"You keep raising the bar every year." She shrugged. "My birthday used to be a day I dreaded because half of the time I was the only one who remembered it. I used to find it so ironic that the woman who birthed me never wanted to celebrate my birthday." She teased but Punk just frowned. He hated hearing stories like this from her but she truly was strong. She would laugh half of it off.

"Did you hear from her today?" He asked and she snorted.

"No. I haven't heard from her in months." She told him. "Funny thing about this year though, I wasn't even expecting it. I don't feel disappointed or sad about it. I had such an amazing day that I don't need her to make it any better."

"Good." he said with a straight face. "Because you don't." He said to her and she gave him a sympathetic smile. It was always difficult for him to talk to her about her mother, she knew deep down he hated her. The two didn't get along the few times they met and a lot of that had to do with the stories she had told Punk about her. He just couldn't look her in the eye after the way she had treated AJ when she was younger. But he never bashed her mother either, he always tried to tow the line.

"I know." She said to him placing her hand over his free hand that was resting on the middle compartment. "You on the other hand have earned yourself a lot of husband points this week."

"Yea? Points?" He asked with a grin. "What can I with these points? Cash them in?"

"Cash them in for what?" She laughed.

"Sex." He said bluntly and she laughed again, he loved to hear her laugh even though he wasn't sure why she was laughing so much. "Why is that so funny?" he asked confused.

"We don't have enough sex?" She asked amused.

"Oh, no we have plenty but can I like cash in one husband point when you're in the shower?" he asked. She hated when he barged in on her in the shower sometimes.

"Sure." She laughed again.

"Or when you're doing that thing?" he asked.

"Yoga? Why does that turn you on so much?" She asked still laughing.

"Your body is so flexible." He replied innocently.

"Yes you can cash in." She said tracing her fingers over his hand gently.

"What about-" he began.

"Yes!" She yelled out laughed.

"How many points do I have exactly? I don't want to waste any." He asked seriously.


End file.
